Welcome to a fun, relaxing, sustainable and authentic vintage Stone Harbor beach house experience. This house at 10305 1st Avenue in Stone Harbor, New Jersey was built in 1954 and has been in our family since 1972. We call it OASIS Stone Harbor, and we rent it out for a few weeks each summer as well as occasionally in the spring, fall, and over the winter off-season.

You deserve an OASIS.

Video: OASIS Stone Harbor – Beach House Outside Video Tour with new Swimming Pool – 2022.09.20

Video: OASIS Stone Harbor – Beach House Interior Video Tour Updated 2022.11.14

Sustainability Highlights

This renovated house now approaches net zero energy consumption and emissions.

Renovate vs Rebuild: One of the key sustainability advantages of this 1954 vintage house is that it has been upgraded rather than torn down. Many older homes on Seven Mile Island have been rebuilt with much larger homes. Approximately 20% of landfills are construction debris, so saving a house is more ecofriendly than tearing it down.

Some highlights that the owner, Charlie Szoradi, has undertaken since 2018:

1: Solar power on the roof + Electric Vehicle (EV) charging to power cars directly from the sun + energy saving LED lights.

2: Outdoor pavilion for dining and family room seating. This was a key means to convert the disadvantage of a small older house into the advantage for outdoor living. + outdoor recreation with a “private beach” for lounging + cornhole and swimming.

3: Conversion of the shed from storage for surfboards and bikes into a “guest cottage”. This is another example of converting an old structure into what is now the equivalent of a fifth bedroom, enhanced with Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a Smart TV.

4: Bike paddock with bike racks made from salvage material from the neighbors’ construction dumpsters. Biking is fast, easy, fun, and sustainable transportation.

5: Rainwater collection from rain barrels.

6: Edible garden that includes rugosa roses to use the rose hips for making jam, beach plums, blueberries, garlic, and catmint for salads and tea.

7. Efficient Air Conditioning Mini-split systems and ceiling fans.

8. Cross Ventilation with windows and interior slat shading systems + natural light and ventilation at the outdoor shower with the cupola design.

9. Passive solar enclosed front porch with screens for drafting to reduce heat gain in the living room.

10. Drought tolerant plants like the perimeter Leyland Cypress trees that create an emerald frame around the backyard for privacy and wind reduction.

The water energy food security nexus is an increasingly important concern relative to climate change. This home hopefully serves as an example for others to start rethinking sustainability at the shore and at their full-time residences across America.

Charlie Szoradi: Szoradi.Charlie@gmail.com Mobile: 610-551-5224

We were pleased that Sustainable Stone Harbor chose our home as the host residence for their annual event in 2023.