- Amaryllis Stadlober restored a 175-year-old cottage in Ahuriri after purchasing it for $620,000.
- The Category II listed home, built for Thomas Henry Fitzgerald, survived the 1931 Napier earthquake.
- Stadlober is selling the cottage after upgrades, aiming for another renovation project in Westshore.
One of Napier’s oldest surviving homes is back on the market for sale after a year-long restoration.
Start your property search
Amaryllis Stadlober stumbled across the 175-year-old cottage at 20 Battery Road, Ahuriri, by chance last year and snapped it up for $620,000.
She had moved to Napier from Waiheke Island following the break-up of her marriage. “I needed to find an affordable option. A girlfriend of mine said, ‘Come down and have a look at the Hawke’s Bay and see what you think’. So, I looked at Napier, Clive, Havelock, and Hastings, and I picked out about 10 houses to view.”
She fell in love with the first property she looked at, Shepherd’s Cottage. “I didn’t have any clue it was the oldest cottage in Napier or historic or anything. I just fell in love with it.”
The colourful Category II-listed home has been upgraded and a studio created in a period outbuilding. Photo / Supplied
Vendor Amaryllis Stadlober loves creating beautiful interiors and has stamped her mark on the cottage. Photo / Supplied. Photo / Supplied
The previous owners had been running it as an Airbnb, and Stadlober, an experienced renovator, saw a lot of potential. “I knew I could do the repair work myself, and enhancements, and so I bought it.”
It was only once she got the keys that a friend told her about the one-bedroom cottage’s historical significance.
It was built for Thomas Henry Fitzgerald, who was the first Superintendent of the Hawke’s Bay province and played a prominent role in the development of Ahuriri in the 1850s.
Discover more:
- Empty Remuera villa near fatal landslip listed for sale
- Wild Poppies founder's coastal homes face mortgagee sale
- 'King of NZ' cuts his losses, slashes price of $10m 'goldmine'
The Category II listed home is thought to have been used as a shepherd’s cottage in its early years – hence its name – and it is one of the few properties of its vintage that survived the 1931 Napier earthquake.
Stadlober began making her mark on the home as soon as she moved in. “I restored the original kauri floors. I’ve painted the sleepout at the back and turned that into an extra dwelling.” She also upgraded and tiled the laundry.
Stadlober has loved bringing the cottage back to life, and loved being by the coast – “having come off living on a catamaran, the space was about the same size as the boat” – but she is now selling the one-bedroom cottage because she has set her sights on another do-up in Westshore.
Stadlober took on the project after her marriage broke up and she was priced out of the Auckland housing market. Photo / Supplied
The cottage now boasts a distinctive purple front door. Photo / Supplied
Property Brokers listing agents Chloe King and Julie Smith said the cottage had stood the test of time and wrote in their marketing on OneRoof that it was “full of character and rich in local history”.
“Lovingly restored and thoughtfully modernised, the cottage blends its charm with the comforts of modern living. Native timber floors, vaulted ceilings, and a warm, welcoming interior create a home that feels instantly inviting.”
- 20 Battery Road, Ahuriri, Napier, is for sale, deadline August 5
