- Tony Connell transformed two former halls in Wairoa into residential units over four years.
- He invested $470,000 in the project, creating a five-bedroom home and a one-bedroom unit.
- Connell is selling the properties for $250,000 and $350,000, aiming for a new adventure.
Tony Connell doesn’t do boring. Four years ago, he moved to the North Island and bought a former gospel hall. Now he’s selling up so he can head off on another adventure somewhere equally unusual.
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“I was 65 in 2021, and I thought, 'Do I want to live and die on the West Coast or go somewhere else where the climate is a bit milder?',” he told OneRoof.
His travels took him to Wairoa, where he spied a listing for an old hall built by the Brethren in 1931. The Brethren had put the property at 8A Lahore Street on the market with the adjoining Rally Hall, which they had built in the 1960s and used as a Sunday school.
A kitchen, bathroom and laundry have been installed in the reception area of the Gypsy Hall to create a one-bedroom apartment. Photo / Supplied
The main hall is still in its original condition and is being marketed as a blank canvas for the new owner. Photo / Supplied
Connell came up with the idea of turning the old church buildings, which were connected by a large commercial kitchen, into two residential duplexes.
Connell, who was a fruit and vegetable wholesaler, wanted a change in location and came up with the idea of turning the two buildings into residential units. “I think a little bit outside the square and thought this is a bit better than buying a suburban box, so I bought it as a challenge.
“I came up here – it’s been four years now – and it’s been fun. It’s been an adventure.”
The properties are spread over two titles, which Connell said was a challenge because the boundary wasn't immediately obvious. “I lived here for over a year before it became obvious where to partition the front [building] from the back in such a way that you got maximum use of space without over-capitalising.”
He moved into the larger building (the Rally Hall) at the back and used the existing layout to create a five-bedroom family home, which has been repainted and has two new fireplaces.
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He moved into the larger building (the Rally Hall) at the back and used the existing layout to create a five-bedroom family home, which has been repainted and has two new fireplaces.
The former gospel hall has eaten up most of his time, effort, and money. A large costly fire and acoustic wall was erected to separate the two buildings and create a duplex. The reception area has been fitted out with a kitchen and bathroom, while the large hall, which still has the old stage, has been left in its original condition for the new owner to decide what to do with it.
The newly built fences around the properties seemed to stop locals from wandering in, he said, but most have told Connell that they know the building well because they had been inside it when it was a church.
Connell paid $235,000 for the property and spent $250,000 to turn the halls into two separate homes. “It owes me about $470,000. But as a project, it’s been incredibly satisfying to see it done and be a part of it.”
Connell admitted there wasn’t a big profit margin to be had: 8A Lahore Street is priced at $250,000, while 8B Lahore Street is priced at $350,000.
The Rally Hall has been tidied up and turned into a five-bedroom home. Photo / Supplied
Two fireplaces have been installed and insulation added to make it warm and cosy. Photo / Supplied
He said he was also pleased to have added two more homes to Wairoa because there was a housing shortage.
“I’m selling because the adventure has finished and without sounding pretentious, I will take on something else as a milder adventure – maybe not as adventurous as this one."
He has his eye on a couple of other properties: a defunct childcare centre in Wairoa and an ex-Seventh Day Adventist Church in the King Country.
“Both of them are challenges. I’ve lived in plenty of suburban boxes over the years. If you can buy it right and do it right, there might be a modest return for you and a bit of an adventure.”
PG Wrightson salesperson Kimberley Bell said feedback from the community was that they were happy the halls, which had been a part of the town for so long, had been given a "spruce up".
Bell said the asking prices for the Gospel Hall and Rally Hall were below the town's media sale price, which made for attractive consideration.
She expected that Gospel Hall to attract a variety of buyers, she said, from an investor who saw the potential for an easy commercial lease space to someone who simply loved the idea of living in the space. "This could be someone who likes to travel often, appreciating the simplicity that the grounds and building offer."
- 8A Lahore Street, in Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, is for sale for $250,000; 8B Lahore Street is priced at $350,000
