An abandoned school in rural Northland that was bought on a whim for $125,000 and now only fit for camping is now being auctioned off with a low reserve.
The former Towai School on Ford Road, in Hikurangi, closed its doors for the last time in 2004 and while the students are long gone signs of its former life are evident from the dilapidated school building, drained swimming pool and deserted toilet block.
Housing NZ bought the 2.02-hectare property for $250,000 two years after the school’s closure with the plans to build four low-cost homes on the site. Opposition from residents and restrictions preventing multiple dwellings to be built on the rural land saw it put on the market nine years later.
Ray White salesperson Alex Smits said the current owner was driving home from visiting family in Northland when he spotted a For Sale sign outside the school.
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The owner had no real plan for it other than falling in love with the nearly 130-year-old timber building and thinking it was a good opportunity, he said.
“I think it was bought on a whim, had some cash in his back pocket and thought at that price it’s a good buy.”
A coffin maker had been living in the property rent-free in return for keeping an eye on the property until about 10 months ago.
However, it was now empty, and the owner had decided it was time to sell.
“The vendors want rid of it; they don’t have the capacity to deal with it and they want to make sure it’s passed on to someone else that does have that capacity.”
The Ford Road building was last used as a school in 2004. Photo / Supplied
The old swimming pool also remains on the site. Photo / Supplied
Smits said it offered plenty of possibilities being just a 30-minute drive from Whangarei.
“It’s a large imposing structure comprising two buildings, and it wouldn’t take much imagination to transform it into a beautiful house, backpackers’ accommodation, or schoolhouse. It may also suit communal living arrangements with lots of space to bring cabins and caravans.
He wouldn’t live in the property in its current ‘as is, where is’ state, but said it was perfect for camping.
“You could have cabins or caravans with communal living facilities. It’s got the old toilet block and whatnot, which would suit that down to a T.
“It’s just over 2ha of easy land so you could run a few livestock and put in gardens and orchards for self-sustainable living.”
The next owners could also be grabbing themselves a bargain as the property is to be auctioned with a low reserve, he said.
The 2.02ha site would lend itself to communal living with cabins and caravans. Photo / Supplied
Smit wouldn’t divulge exactly what the reserve figure was, but said it was possible that the property could be picked up for less than a bare block of land.
“It will be a low reserve comparative to what else is on the market, it’s probably going to sell for maybe less than what a bare block would sell for, but we don’t know.
“That’s the beauty of auctions, it will find the market value for it.” The old school building at 9 Ford Road has a current RV of $250,000, including $180,000 which is land value.
The school was one of seven Northland schools with a dwindling roll closed by the then Labour Government so that money used to pay for empty classrooms and unused playgrounds could be instead spent on teachers and teaching aides. At the time of its closure, it had 17 students on its roll.
- 9 Ford Road, Hikurangi Rd2, Whangārei, goes to auction on April 4
