A religious experience may not have made your new home search criteria. But, as OneRoof discovered, that there are some charming former-churches for sale around the country (just type in ‘church’ in the keywords of the refine search box). Some are befores, and some afters, but all have soul.
The number of New Zealanders who identify as Christian has been dropping (down to 48 percent in the 2013 census), less than 15 percent attend any church service, so many of these buildings have sat abandoned waiting to be re-purposed.
Leona Munro, of Ray White Dunedin, has the ultimate ‘before’ on 224 North Road in Dunedin’s North East Valley (along the road, as it happens, from the street formerly known as the world’s steepest, Baldwin St). The enormous St David’s Presbyterian church sits on a prominent corner, after closing a few years ago when its congregation dropped to only 20 souls.
The 870 sq m building, completed in 1885 with later additions in 1912 was by name Dunedin architects, and features kauri and rimu timber throughout, stained glass and gothic arched ceiling, brick and Oamaru stone and a slate-roof. While it’s asking only $339,000 Munro says that buyers would need deep pockets to turn the Historic Places Trust Category 2 property into gorgeous apartments. There’s little heating and no real bathrooms, but you do get some original pews and church furniture.
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Deep in Southland, just out of the busy service town of Winton, Paula Johnstone and Linda Riordan of Bayleys Southland have a striking 1926 former Anglican church in Beaufort St, Centre Bush. St Albans church has been completely reinvented by its artist owner, who married a sharp industrial concrete and glass modern box with the original red-roofed church. That means underfloor heating and double glazing, a media room and clever use of recycled timbers in the new bits but the old church and landscaping are still awaiting transformation. There’s even a cute schoolhouse that’s begging to be guest accommodation or a function venue. Queenstown is just under two hour’s away, Fiordland 90 minutes.
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Agents are paid to be enthusiasts for their properties. But in this case Shane Samtani of Waipu’s Goodground Real Estate may be justified: this 1880s church conversion is indeed, “unique, magnificent..a rarity, rarer than snowflakes in a heatwave.”
The 287sq m 1880s church was relocated from Dargaville to 39 The Braigh, and repurposed into a great family home. The kauri floors and stained glass windows and huge open plan living space still says ‘bless’, but there are four bedrooms tucked into a mezzanine floor (the staircase is a work of art too), a country kitchen with a Falcon cooker, charming bathrooms and French doors to decks and the 2500 sq m of gardens and native bush.
Waipu is a charming town, popular with tourists with the Cove, Langs Beach, Uretiti and Ruakaka within cooee, Auckland only 90 minutes away. Asking $1.39 million.
A family home that answers all your prayers
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Further north in Kamo, Mike Pero agents Jenny Martin and Lisa Struneski have another relocated church on just over 2000 sq m that is looking for offers over $695,000. The property – appropriately on 121 Church Road - has been modernized, but there are still the pitched high ceilings, arched windows and wood floors you’d expect. The main house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, including a great mezzanine master suite with second living area. A double garage has a bonus studio space above, there’s plenty of parking and space to spread out.
Count your blessings in the sunny north.
