A small chapel perfect for a holiday let, a large church on a main street in a town and a converted cathedral apartment on a city fringe are all on the market as parishes around the country continue to diminish and the cost of maintaining the old buildings becomes too much of a burden.
But agents selling some of these former churches – some which have already undergone impressive transformations – say there is plenty of life left in these buildings after they have been given a second chance at life.
LJ Hooker Masterton salesperson Ben Moorcock said several churches in quite central locations had come to market this year.
A large concrete church on King Street in Carterton sold earlier this year for $805,000 after it had been sitting empty for a number of years.
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The new owners bought the property with the plan to upgrade the church on the large section and turn it into a hospitality venue, while replacing the church house with apartments that would be on the main street of the town.
“That had several tenderers as well and none of them planned to pull the church down,” Moorcock said.
Built in circa 1912, the main building of 1A Totara Street in Masterton, with later extensions in 1964, has a floor size of 230sqm with soaring beamed ceilings and arched windows. Photo / Supplied
In Masterton, a former Presbyterian church at 1A Totara Street is for sale, and given its residential zoning has the potential to be converted into a family home or be used as some type of community venue.
Moorcock said there was also potential to relocate the church and build townhouses on the site.
He, along with David McHattie, has also just listed another church in Masterton – at 49 Te Ore Ore Road on two hectares of land.
“I guess what we are seeing is a lot of old buildings where the church groups don’t have the funds or don’t want to spend the numbers on upgrading or upkeeping them.”
While people loved the idea of owning a church, Moorcock said some churches needed to be brought up to the national earthquake standards and the cost and practicalities of transporting them to a new location could also be prohibitive.
“The hard part there is the removal costs are pretty expensive and the removers are pretty busy doing transportable and other things so it’s an even harder game to move them now.”
Bayleys Gore salesperson Julie Mitchell has sold six churches in the last six years in rural towns near Gore, including the current church removal sale in Otago. All the churches she has sold so far have been converted into residential properties with the exception of one which was for a wedding venue.
However, the former Catholic Church in Waipahi, to sold by auction next month, is the first church Mitchell has listed that must be relocated from its original site.
This former Catholic Church at 58 West Otago Road in Waipahi, Clutha, is to be relocated after its sale by auction on November 4. Photo / Supplied
The church property was purchased by a couple in 2004 who built a house next to it and had planned to turn the church into a fisherman’s cottage. The project was never completed and the property was sold to new owners who have found the church to be surplus to their requirements.
Mitchell said a lot of the hard work has already been done to the church – it has been re-clad, has a kitchen and bathroom, and just needs a bedroom. “It was almost ready to be an Airbnb or fisherman’s cottage.”
Along with being used as an Airbnb or for extra accommodation, it could also be used as a wedding venue or a holiday home, she said.
Mitchell said the other churches she had sold had been surplus to the parishes’ needs as they centralised.
“As opposed to them becoming run-down they opted to sell them so they got a new life really.”
Church buildings offered buyers a different lifestyle, she said, and people loved the quirkiness of them. “I’ve had enquiries from Auckland to Invercargill and that’s not an exaggeration.”
But the Waipahi church is not the only church on offer for relocation.
A converted apartment at 4/70 Webb Street in Te Aro, Wellington, has three bedrooms and two bathrooms spread out over three levels with an asking price of $950,000. Photo / Supplied
The original buyers of a 250sqm timber church located in the centre of Lumsden, Southland, have placed the heritage church back on the market after their plans fell through. The church building, which has a main hall and vestry at one end and an extension at the other, is taking enquiries over $80,000.
But it’s not just original churches for sale, there are also options for would-be church owners who want to move into one where the hard work has already been done.
Tommy’s salesperson Alice O’Styke is selling one of six apartments in a church conversion at 4/70 Webb Street in Te Aro, Wellington.
The former Catholic Apostolic Church, built in the 1800s, was purchased in the late 1990s and converted into apartments by the new owner who sold five and kept one for himself.
“That particular church is really old. It started with a small wooden building and then it kind of came into this more cathedral style,” O’Styke said.
The high studs and leadlight windows are still an impressive feature in the three-level, three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment which has retained a strong sense of history.
“It’s all just super – the grounds are super cute. There’s a really cool little entrance as if you are walking into church and then you open into your own private apartment and then it’s completely private and quiet and just so quirky.”
O’Styke said the spacious apartment, which has an asking price of $950,000, has all the modern amenities and also offered the potential for the new owner – whether that be a young couple, young family or people searching for a lock-up and leave – to put their own mark on it.
“It’s the opposite of a boring new home. It’s for someone who wants a bit of size and space – it's got really good configurations.” The top level also boasts impressive views out to Mt Victoria.
Inside the converted 1960s church on 25 Tokiri Road in Titoki, Whangarei, which now has three bedrooms and sits on a 2226sqm landscaped section. Photo / Supplied
In more recent years other Wellington churches such as St James’ Church on Adelaide Road, Newtown, have followed the Webb Street church’s lead and have been converted into high-spec modern apartments.
A former church on 411 Main Road Rikawa, in Rikawa, Tasman, has also been turned into a 300sqm residential home and, according to its OneRoof listing, has an unbelievably spacious living area with plenty of options for different configurations. The property is taking offers of $950,000.
Church lovers up north can also rejoice as a converted 1960s church on 25 Tokiri Road in Titoki, Whangarei, could also appeal to those in search of something different. The three-bedroom home with leadlight windows and a slanted wooden ceiling sits on a 2226sqm landscaped section.
