A quirky cottage at the bottom of the South Island is being sold as a deceased estate.
The two-bedroom house at 5 Park Lane, in Pounawea, Otago, was owned by late Waikato artist Judith Winchester, who had bought it sight unseen more than 20 years ago for $69,000.
Winchester had never even been to the South Island when she saw a notice at the back of the Piako Post advertising a house for sale in Pounawea.
She wrote to the owner asking for more details and a few weeks later received some photos back.
Start your property search
She was smitten by what she saw, a classic bach-style home overlooking the mouth of the Catlins and Owaka rivers.
“The view is what sold it for her. It’s a stunning spot from sunrise ‘til dawn. You can lose hours just watching the tide come in and out,” her family told OneRoof.
Discover more:
- Tony Alexander: No house price growth till summer ... and the Reserve Bank caves to reality
- West Auckland family's big money saving after buying $400K home in Balclutha
- Works hard, earns good money, still can’t afford a home
Winchester turned an old train carriage in the backyard into a studio and spent her days creating artworks, which she sold at local galleries, fêtes and markets.
Harcourts listing agent Mel Kenny said Winchester’s creative personality and passion for pottery were evident throughout the property, which held “so many weird bits and gadgets”.
“From what I can tell she was an amazing artist and a quirky, out-of-the-way person,” she said. “The house tells me the character she was.”
The house is being sold "as is where is" and comes with many of the late owner's artworks. Photo / Supplied
An old train carriage in the backyard was converted into an art studio. Photo / Supplied
Almost every room in the cottage had been painted a different colour: the living area and master bedroom are purple, the laundry is red, the second bedroom is yellow, and the study is green.
The house, which sits on a 1062sqm section, is being sold “as is, where is”, with everything shown in the listing photos up for grabs, including Winchester’s cherished kiln and many of her artworks, which are scattered throughout the home and garden.
“What you see is what you get,” Kenny told OneRoof, adding: “It’s quirky but it does need work.”
Each room in the house is painted a different colour. Photo / Supplied
The house offers clear views of the nearby estuary. Photo / Supplied
Kenny said she had already received interest in the property, which has a sale deadline of July 12.
“Most of the people who have looked at it have said to me, ‘We would not be knocking it down. We would be doing it up, keeping it quirky, and using it as our holiday home‘.”
The cottage has an RV of $470,000, but Kenny said she was taking all offers.
“It could come in with a three in front of it, it could come in with a four – it just depends. Whoever buys it will get a bach for less than half a million dollars – 100%.”
- 5 Park Lane, in Pounawea, Otago is for sale, with deadline closing July 12
