A quirky cottage at the bottom of the South Island has been snapped up by local buyers after attracting strong interest from around the country.
The two-bedroom house on Park Lane, in Pounawea, Otago, was owned by late Waikato artist Judith Winchester, who bought it sight unseen more than 20 years ago for $69,000.
Her family inherited the property after she died and put it up for sale in an “as is, where is” condition. It was sold with almost everything in it including the kiln, and her creative personality and passion for pottery were evident throughout the property.
Harcourts salesperson Mel Kenny said it had “so many weird bits and gadgets”.
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People stepped inside and just went “wow”, she said. “Some people were scared of it and some people just fell in love with it.”
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Almost every room was painted a different colour, including bright purple, yellow and red, and an old train carriage in the back garden had been converted into a pottery studio.
The cottage had its charm, but Kenny said the real drawcard for buyers was its location, across the road from the estuary and overlooking the mouth of the Catlins and Owaka rivers.
Southlanders and even one person from Canterbury had wanted it as a holiday home, while locals had wanted to move to the waterfront location.
The house was sold "as is where is" and came 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
The new owners were from the area and planned to renovate the property and move into it, Kenny told OneRoof. “It will be their destination home just purely because it’s such a beautiful spot.”
Kenny had earlier told OneRoof that the price could start “with a three or four in front of it”. She was unable to reveal the exact sale price until after settlement but confirmed it was somewhere in the $400,000s. She said she had received five offers.
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.
She was smitten by what she saw, a classic bach-style home overlooking the mouth of the Catlins and Owaka rivers.
Each room in the house is painted a different colour. Photo / Supplied
The house offers clear views of the nearby estuary. Photo / Supplied
“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.
Winchester spent her days at her home creating artworks, which she sold at local galleries, fêtes and markets.
“From what I can tell she was an amazing artist and a quirky, out-of-the-way person,” Kenny said. “The house tells me the character she was.”
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