- Ant Healey and his wife Marissa bought a deconsecrated church in Westmere.
- They transformed it into a modern home while preserving its historical integrity, tapping architect Terry Hitchcock.
- The home has attracted significant interest for its unique design, agent thinks it will sell quickly.
When music industry executive Ant Healey jumped on a plane to go to the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Texas, little did he know that he’d be well on the way to buying a church and living in a caravan by the time he returned.
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Ant took a call at the festival from his wife Marissa, a freelance artist and film set stylist, telling him that she had found the perfect home for the couple and their two children: a recently deconsecrated church in Auckland’s Westmere.
Marissa, who has worked on Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power show and several movies, had a creative eye and envisioned a unique home when she spotted the former St Cuthbert’s church at 8 Faulder Avenue for sale.
“I was overseas,” said Ant. “But it was clear from the moment that she saw it that we were going to buy it. She had an amazing vision for it and could see all the possibilities that it had.
The vendors turned what was a shell of a building into something special. Photo / Supplied
They tapped their friend, architect Terry Hitchcock, to help with the transformation. Photo / Supplied
“I’d been to a wedding of two dear friends there some years ago, so I knew the building. And we were just looking for somewhere interesting, a space that was not a standard villa or bungalow in the neighbourhood. It seemed to tick all the boxes.”
By the time the near-100-year-old church was deemed surplus to the Anglican Diocese of Auckland’s needs, the congregation had dwindled and it was being used as a community space for events such as elections and yoga classes, Ant said.
“We’ve had people knock on the door looking for AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] meetings that used to be held there.”
The family bought the home in 2008 for $790,000. Once they’d settled in, the Healeys bought a caravan and moved into the yard.
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“It was crazy at the time because it was just a shell when we [first visited] and in not great nick. [Marissa] had an amazing vision for it and could see all the possibilities. We loved its beautiful, huge, flat section. We loved [the] all-day sun,” said Ant. “While it didn’t feel really overly spiritual, it was always just a really beautiful, warm, and welcoming space.”
The church was a focal point in Westmere, and the Healeys were driven to keep it that way. “It was a real neighbourhood icon, and we loved that. We never wanted to destroy that. Hence, we kept the integrity of the building,” Ant told OneRoof.
“We engaged a beautiful friend, architect legend Terry Hitchcock, to do some initial drawings for us as to what the inside might be.
“In true Terry Hitchcock fashion, he created some amazing spaces in a modest footprint. It unfolds as you enter it, and there are some really interesting angles and clever living spaces.
The Healeys wanted to preserve the essence and integrity of the church, saying it was a "real neighbourhood icon". Photo / Supplied
“Essentially, we built a new house inside this historic shell. We wanted to live somewhere modern. We knew that we had to insulate and put in new kitchens, and it now has four bathrooms. We wanted to be comfortable, obviously.”
A pool and extension out the back were finishing touches.
Ant is unsure of what they spent in the end, explaining that the renovation was done in stages over a long time. Spreading the work out added to the excitement, pain and pleasure, he said.
Ant is the New Zealand head of APRA, the Australasian Performing Right Association, and he has hosted many household names at the couple’s Westmere home, but he declined to say who that might be.
“It has been a space for little concerts and school fundraisers. I really don’t want to drop any names.”
Bayleys Point Chevalier agent Nick Gilbert said he jumped at the chance to sell the home. “It’s not a cookie-cutter-style house. This is something that’s completely left field. It has real mana.”
The property has proved popular at the open homes, and the agent believes it will sell quickly. Photo / Supplied
He said the vendors had respected the property’s history and heritage, and they’d done justice to that. “That’s one of the things that attracted me to the property, and I feel very privileged to be able to sell it for them.”
The home drew a crowd at the first open home. “I had the first open home on the weekend [with] 15 groups through. We have an older lady who has been wanting to buy it since it was first deconsecrated.”
Other interested parties include creatives, families, and a creative family looking to move from Waiheke, said Gilbert. “Anyone that wants something different.”
The listing had pulled potential buyers out of the woodwork, he added. “A lot of the buyers haven’t been actively looking because of the cookie-cutter bungalows.”
The current RV is $3.175 million, which Gilbert predicts will be surpassed. “This house is going to absolutely blow past its CV, and probably sell very quickly. It’s amazing the people that have come through and shown interest in it.”
- 8 Faulder Avenue, in Westmere, Auckland, goes to auction on March 26
