Jyot Mendes

A slower story unfolding, one space at a time

Our Acre Story

Follow our home journey, thoughtful choices, and spaces taking shape.

Explore Acre Story

Creating calm spaces through indoor plants

House Plant Hub

Plant care, styling ideas, and the greenery shaping our home.

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HEADING HERE

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Our Acre Story

Our Journey on YouTube

A lot of people assume rural living means giving up convenience. Space instead of everything nearby. Quiet instead of close.

We left a genuinely good spot in Hibiscus Coast — great school, beach five minutes away — because we wanted land to grow our own food. Franklin was new territory for us, so instead of committing blind, we moved onto the land first and lived there before building anything.

What surprised us is that we’re actually closer to everyday amenities out here than we ever were in the suburbs. Turns out the trade-off everyone warns you about isn’t really a trade-off at all — you just have to find the right spot.

#ouracrestory #franklinnz #ruralnz #trybeforeyoubuild #familyhomestead

Rural Living in NZ Without Giving Up Convenience #ruralnz #franklinnz #nzlife #trybeforeyoubuild

Subscribe to see moments that matter 🌼 you are always welcome here #gardeningnz #slowliving #home

If you're building, here's one tip we'd give everyone.
A 2.7m ceiling throughout your home is a great place to start. It makes every room feel more oren, brighter, and more spacious compared to a standard 2.4m ceiling.
But if your budget allows for just one extra upgrade, make it a raked ceiling in your main living area.
The extra volume is something you notice the moment you walk in. Photos don't quite capture it, bu you feel it every single day.

Fix this before you build:
• Aim for 2.7m ceilings throughout your home.
• Add a raked or vaulted ceiling to your main living area if you can. It creates a sense of space that's difficult to achieve any other way.

#newzealandbuild #homebuilding #buildingtips #dreamhome #customhome #homedesign #newbuild #rakedceiling #vaultedceiling #buildingjourney #ouracrestory #homeinspiration #designtips

Standard 2.4m vs 2.7m: The impact is huge! This architectural trick makes your home feels massive.

We couldn’t walk past these giant cloves! 🧄

This is Elephant Garlic, and despite its name, it’s actually more closely related to a leek than regular garlic.

It grows huge bulbs with just a few massive cloves, has a much milder flavour, and is perfect for roasting.

Today we’re getting ours in the ground and can’t wait to see what next season brings. One more step towards growing more of our own food here on the acre.

Have you ever grown elephant garlic before?

#ouracrestory #elephantgarlic #growyourownfood #vegetablegarden #nzgardening #gardeningnz #kitchengarden #homegrown #growfood #lifestyleblock #sustainableliving #gardenlife #allotment #organicgardening #growwhatyoueat

This might be the biggest garlic we’ve ever seen. #garlicplanting #elephantgarlic #garlic #gardening

She’s having fun on the ride-on mower.

We’re watching confidence grow.

These are the moments we hoped for when we chose this lifestyle. Not just building a house, but creating a place where our kids can learn, help, and make memories they’ll carry for years to come.

Follow along and stick around as we continue building life on our acre. 🌿

#ouracrestory #lifestyleblock #familylife #countryliving #newzealand #slowliving #acrelife #raisingkids #simpleliving #nzhome

This video is about much more than mowing a lawn. #lifelessons #growingup #responsibility #lifestyle

House & Land package VS Lifestyle build #ultimateacre #acreageliving #buildingtips #construction

Just a direction. And enough trust to keep moving. #construction #building #quotes #keepmoving

you walk outside one morning and the sky does this 💛 #sunrise #newday #beautiful #home #building

Not always easy. Definitely worth it.

Our Acre Story

Instagram Gallery

ouracrestory

We found our patch of NZ, rural views, town just down the road and built our family home on it from the ground up. Come follow the journey.

We left Hibiscus Coast — good school across the ro

Space or convenience. Rural or close to everything

Follow along for the moments that matter. You are

We couldn’t walk past these giant cloves! 🧄 Meet

She’s having fun on the ride-on mower. We’re watc

Save this post for your future build, or send it t

The confidence is here. The followers will catch u

Most people compare a house & land package with a

You found us early. Let’s see where this goes. #jo

Just a direction. And enough trust to keep moving.

You walk outside one morning and the sky does this

Not always easy. Definitely worth it. #buildjourn

Follow for more tips - Film your walls before the

Not everything in a garden needs a purpose. Some t

Having this view from the kitchen has become one o

Let’s connect #buildingourhome #newhomebuild #dron

Still plenty to do. Still worth enjoying. #buildi

Here’s something nobody tells you when you’re buil

If you came over right now you'd see walls we have

The details — all the small decisions that add up

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