Declining church attendance has given rise to a steady stream of churches being converted into upmarket residences
Two more former churches have recently gone on the market.
In Wellington the former St James Presbyterian Church in Newtown’s Adelaide Rd, has been completely rebuilt to accommodate five new apartments.
Architect Simon Novak of Novak + Middleton Architects, the firm commissioned to design the rebuild, says the project has been nothing short of “sensational”.
Novak says right from the outset the team worked closely with Heritage New Zealand, which gave the church a Category 2 listing in 1982.
The building is also listed with the Wellington City Council.
In Auckland a former Congregational Church in Swanson has sold under the hammer for $1.17 million.
The sale price was $400,000 greater than the CV of $770,000 – nearly 52 per cent more.
Four bidders competed for the heritage-listed property, which has been in private hands since 1976 when it was sold by the Methodist congregation.
When did regular church attendance peak in New Zealand?
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