- A derelict building in Linwood, Christchurch, sold for $276,000, exceeding its $250,000 asking price.
- The new owner plans to clean up the site, which had multiple council complaints.
- The property was previously a gun shop and had become a potential health nuisance and a squatter site.
Christchurch residents will be breathing a sigh of relief following the sale of a derelict gun shop that had reportedly become a home for rats.
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The vendor will also be happy. The $276,000 sale price exceeded their expectations for the Worcester Street property.
Multiple offers were made on the “as is, where is” property after it was listed with an asking price of $250,000.
The property made headlines earlier this year when neighbours told Stuff media they wanted it gone. Stuff reported that the property was filled with rubbish, and that the mattresses scattered on the floor inside suggested squatters had been living there.
Christchurch City Council issued an urgent clean-up notice to the vendors after investigating a “health nuisance”. It will now be up to the purchaser, a local developer, to clean up the site.
Several complaints were made about the graffiti-covered building, which has reportedly become a shelter for squatters and a magnet for vermin. Photo / Supplied
Tall Poppy salesperson Leana Butler said the vendors were extremely happy with the result. They had run their gun repair business from the shop for several years, but had not done anything with it since it was damaged in the earthquakes.
Butler told OneRoof: “It’s a bit of an eyesore. It’s been sitting there for a while, attracting people who were undesirable. [Neighbours] want to see something done with it.”
She expected the site to be cleaned after the June 10 settlement date. “All potential buyers were advised of the council clean-up notice and know that it’s a priority.”
She was unaware of the new owner’s exact plans for the property, but said most of the interest had come from developers.
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“A lot of that [street] had already been tidied up – apart from that one building, which wasn’t pleasant inside.”
Butler said some potential viewers wanted to save the building, but ruled it out after visiting the site. “I don’t believe that anybody believed that was a viable option.”
Christchurch City Council told OneRoof last month it had received six complaints about the building since 2018, including one complaint about vermin.
Head of regulatory compliance Tracey Weston said the building had been assessed several times for demolition, but it had not met the threshold.
Weston said the Environmental Health team had been investigating a health nuisance on the site, and the owners had been given a deadline for remedial action. The council had been satisfied that the owner had taken appropriate action in time by listing the property for sale and installing security fencing to prevent unauthorised access.
“Should the situation worsen, or if required, the council may consider further action, of which the current owner has been made aware of.”
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