Sustainable House Day will give the public a chance to view the properties in Warrnambool, Allansford and Portland, and see the possibilities in energy efficiency and environmental living.

Sladjana Fiedler, owner of Retro River Rest, utilised shipping containers to create an amazing house and reduce construction waste.

"I love the land and wanted something sympathetic to the environment," Mrs Fiedler said.

"It was important to me to be creative with the design, and make use of recycled materials including interior furniture and light fittings. You can achieve a beautiful home by recycling and breathing new life into old furniture."

The Retro River Rest property has incorporated double-glazed windows, a 6 kilowatt solar panel unit, hot water heat pump, insulation in floors, wall and ceiling, and a water tank in the one meter elevation under the house.

"We also used a lot of locally sourced materials, including artworks and photographs from local artists," Mrs Fiedler said.

Sustainable design architect and Warrnambool Environmental Action Group member Fiona Golding said it is good for people to visit the sustainable houses and feel the difference in the spaces.

"Each year we open up different houses for people to visit," Ms Golding said.

"It is a great way to see what can be achieved, especially retrofitting older houses.

"When people walk into the homes they can feel the difference.

"When they talk to the homeowners and hear they don't need to turn the heater on people get inspired to and do it for themselves."

For information on the south-west properties open for viewing visit the Sustainable House Day website.

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