- The Old Chapel in Riwaka has attracted strong buyer interest after listing for $649,000.
- Paul and Julie Greenaway transformed the 1920s Brethren chapel into a cosy two-bedroom home.
- They are selling after four years to move closer to family and travel by campervan.
A charming 1920s chapel with a modern twist seems to have everyone singing from the same hymn sheet.
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The Old Chapel at 441 Main Road, in Riwaka, Motueka, hit the market less than two weeks ago with an asking price of $649,000.
Within days of the listing going live, the agents were inundated with inquiries.
K Real Estate agent Rebecca K told OneRoof it was incredible to attract so many serious buyers so quickly. “Which is unusual because it’s not a huge house.”
But owners Paul and Julie Greenaway aren’t surprised their little chapel is wooing buyers; they felt the same way when they snapped it up four years ago for $630,000.
The couple had been looking to downsize from their alpaca farm in the Moutere Valley when they spotted the chapel hidden behind a high fence on Riwaka’s main street.
The 1920s chapel conversion has been cleverly renovated to include a modern kitchen and bathroom. Photo / Supplied
Original features include native timber such as matai floorboards and rimu beams. Photo / Supplied
Paul told OneRoof that they knew it was the one from the first open home. “It had the character we liked and have looked for in the past.”
The couple had just a few days to carry out their due diligence before the two-bedroom property went to auction. They were relieved they were the only ones who turned up to bid.
“We were pretty excited to secure it at the auction.”
The couple ran it as a holiday let at first. It was a hit with overseas guests who wanted to stay somewhere special while visiting Abel Tasman. “We were full, it never stopped,” Paul said.
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Then last year, after selling their nearby farm, the couple moved into the chapel.
“The goal was to have the chapel as our next step to enable us to downsize and still have a nice place to live while we thought about where and when we go next.”
Paul said the property dated back to at least the 1920s when it was a private Brethren chapel in the grounds of the historic Cederman House.
The chapel was then converted into a two-bedroom residence in the mid-1980s. “Various owners since then have put their stamp on it.”
The owners found an original hymn board, which had been rescued from a church damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes, after a long search. Photo / Supplied
Soft furnishings by the owners’ favourite designers Orla Kiely complete the mid-century look. Photo / Supplied
Paul and Julie replaced the roof and windows, repolished the wooden matai floors, painted the exterior, and redecorated to their own taste.
“We’ve tried to be sympathetic to the original building but modernised it.”
The couple loved hunting out the right pieces for the property and after months of searching, located a hymn board rescued from an earthquake-damaged church in Christchurch. They had also found an old church pew.
“Over the years we’ve done a fair amount of property development, and we love sourcing old pieces that work with new pieces," Paul said.
“There are the chapel bits and the mid-century and modern bits. The kitchen and bathroom are modern, but you can step back in time once you are in the lounge or the bedrooms.”
He added: “It’s a one-off. You hear about a converted church, and you think it’s a big old cold stone building that someone has tried to turn into a house. This is like a little cottage with lots of timber, original floors, an open staircase that leads up to a mezzanine level, and it’s really cosy.”
The couple said they were selling up to move closer to family. “We’re going to sell up and travel around in our campervan for a bit before we decide where we go next.”
- 441 Main Road, in Riwaka, Motueka, is for sale for $649,000
