A tiny pink cottage that was once home to a feisty woman who used to chase Wellington Council officers away with a broomstick when they came knocking has sold for $830,000.
The 131-year-old two-bedroom property on Walter Street, in Te Aro, was snapped up at the end of last year after several months on the market, Tommy’s agent Alice O’Styke told OneRoof.
O’Styke said the cottage had yielded significant gains for the vendor despite selling below the 2021 RV of just over $1 million. According to OneRoof records, it last sold in 2005 for $300,000.
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“The vendor ran a publishing business out of it for a while, but then they rented it. It was sold with a fixed-term tenancy in place,” she said.
She said the sale showed there were buyers out there, even for unusual properties. “Even though we’ve gone through a softening patch, anyone who has held a property for 10, 15 years-plus is still generally seeing an upside,” she said.
The agent said the cottage had taken took time to sell because of its unique qualities. “A lot of people loved it but couldn’t quite get their head around it due to size and location [next to commercial buildings],” she said.
She said the eventual buyer had inspected several other character homes on O’Styke’s books. “The buyer had come through a couple of those and had come to Walter Street early on. It was just so charming, they kept being drawn back to it.”
The 80sqm cottage also has quite a history. When it first hit the market last year, O’Styke recounted to OneRoof stories of a former owner, Molly Molloy, who refused to sell up when the city council was fast demolishing worker’s homes in the suburb in a bid to industrialise the area.
The interior of the Walter Street home had been updated to include modern stylings and fittings. Photo / Supplied
The 80sqm cottage sits on a 104sqm section in the heart of the capital. Photo / Supplied
“She was quite well-known in the street and she would chase people with her broomstick and she just wouldn’t sell out to the council."
O’Styke said Wellington buyers were currently spoilt for choice, with total listings for the city significantly up year-on-year. As of Wednesday last week, there were 915 properties on the market in Wellington City between Churton Park and Seatoun, compared to 300 in 2021 when prices were peaking.
She said there was strong demand for good quality homes right now. “The most notable thing in the market is, even with all those listings, when you take away apartments, unit titles, homes that need work, or with major disclosures, we always have a lack of good quality homes [for sale] in Wellington.
“Generally those presented well, priced well, and providing all the information, seem to be moving, and at a much quicker clearance rate than we’ve had over the last 18 months. We certainly feel like we have a few more multi-offers, but it’s very property dependent.”
An easy-to-sell home was one with good location, good sun and in good condition, she said. “We seem to be a bit lacking in family homes. Four bedroom, two bathroom, with good indoor-outdoor flow."
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