Owen Vaughan: One Roof Editor on popularity of churches on property market

Churches appear to be hot property on the real estate market. 

One Roof Editor Owen Vaughan tells Mike Hosking there will always be a market for quirky spaces with a sense of reverence. 

However, while converted churches are easy to move into, buyers face a battle on older buildings that are yet to be converted into dwellings. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A little bit of chatter around churches at the moment

(00:01):
in the old property market. When churches old churches come
up for sale, they are hot property. No penintender, but
there are surely they're officials, are there? One roof for editor.
Owen Vaughan is with us on all of this. Owen,
morning to you, Barnie. There's a couple of things I
would think as a property enthusiast myself. One is a
church versus something that has been converted and was once

(00:22):
a church but is now at home. They're two completely
different things, aren't.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
They Yeah, they're they're They're completely different things than notebooks.
The ones that are renovated and converted. Obviously, if you're
buying one of those, you've got one that's already ready made.
If you're buying a church that has not been converted,
you're going to be fatting well a very kind of

(00:48):
testing time trying to get that renovation through, that conversion through.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
So there are rules and regulations around conversion or not.
Is it just like any old building as long as
you do it right, you do it right.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, it depends on what you're buying. Most of these
buildings that are for sale, they are being deconsecrated, but uh,
you're talking about old buildings. They're you know, got their
own peculiarities. And I think, look, if you're if you
think renovating a living space or a kitchen or a bathroom,

(01:21):
that's challenging. Try doing that to need their big cavernous spaces.
So you you've got to have a lot of faith
when you take on these projects.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Do these I mean obviously they tracked for people like
you at one roof, they'll attract a lot of attention
because they're quirky. Are they a real prospect for some people?
In other words, is there an actual market?

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Then yeah, Look they're they're they're quite popular. I mean, look,
they're a bit like marmite. I mean some people think
they're hiddenly, some people think they're a bit creepy. But
for those who love them, and there are there are
plenty of people out there they love living them. There's

(02:03):
people out there that can put them on Airbnb, and
they're they're very popular. So the idea of living in
a place that used to be an altar or somewhere
where there's stained glass windows and a sense of reverence
around it, that there's there's always going to be a
market for that in terms of the people who buy them. Look,

(02:25):
we've seen former all blacks buy churches and convert them.
There's Xavier Rush in Wales bot one and a couple
of years ago he sold it for just under a
million pounds, so there is a there is a market there.
And just last month we had an Aussie buyer who
came into uh Gore and was desperate to buy a

(02:49):
church that had been on the market and he'd lost
out six months previously, So there is demand there.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
Fantastic. I'm reading this morning in Monroo. By the way,
first time buysa back and what will not. They're increasing
this year and also investors a rap as well, so
we sing the market move here or not.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah. Look, there's certainly a little bit more interest in
the market. Obviously interest rates tumbling. That's been a help.
But there's still a sense that prices are contained. I
know if you look at the auction results. While there's
a lot of people bidding and the number of bidders
are up well up on six months ago, the prices

(03:27):
are still restrained levels.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
Good stuff on us to talk to you appreciate it
very much. Go well, Owen vorn One, roof editor, with
us this morning.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
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