Buying old Churches

Discussion in 'What to buy' started by Darlinghurst Boy, 31st Mar, 2016.

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  1. Darlinghurst Boy

    Darlinghurst Boy Well-Known Member

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    noticed a lot of old Churches for sale lately particularly in Country Areas.

    Has anyone purchased a Ex Church and converted it into a home ??

    I love the leadlight windows however and the double wooden doors.
     

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    Darlinghurst Boy, 31st Mar, 2016
    #1
  2. datto

    datto Well-Known Member

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    Nice church. I'd pray the upkeep is not too expensive. Look after it and people will worship the place. The tradies will be singing hymns as they go about their work.
     
    datto, 31st Mar, 2016
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  3. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

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    I reckon if you can get it feeling like a homr and not a converted church it will become trendy and hip

    I looked quickly at some churches and couldnt figure out how to get rid of the hall like atmosphere

    Howeevr i have the creativity of a piece of cheese though
     
    TMNT, 31st Mar, 2016
    #3
  4. thatbum

    thatbum Well-Known Member

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    Yeah I bought one and will be starting conversion work shortly. Its not that old though - built in 1962.
     
    thatbum, 31st Mar, 2016
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  5. TobyRichardson

    TobyRichardson Active Member

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    Are you the guy who bought one East of Narrogin?
     
    TobyRichardson, 31st Mar, 2016
    #5
  6. thatbum

    thatbum Well-Known Member

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    Yep. Does that mean I'm famous? ha
     
    thatbum, 31st Mar, 2016
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  7. Barny

    Barny Well-Known Member

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    Congrats. Love converted churches.

    Any chance you could please share some pics/the conversion through a thread?
     
    Barny, 31st Mar, 2016
    #7
  8. thatbum

    thatbum Well-Known Member

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    Yeah sure thing. I'm actually intending to blog about the whole process so I'll get it all up and running when the conversion work starts later this year!
     
    thatbum, 31st Mar, 2016
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  9. Barny

    Barny Well-Known Member

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    Fantastic. I've been curious what kind of work is involved to carry this out. And zoning laws etc that allow you to do it.
    Have fun
     
    Barny, 31st Mar, 2016
    #9
  10. Xenia

    Xenia Well-Known Member

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    Congratulations That bum
    This deserves a new post on the progress.
     
    Xenia, 31st Mar, 2016
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  11. House

    House Well-Known Member

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    There's a church reno on almost weekly on Restoration Homes. Amazing results but every single one seems to put the buyer under enormous financial and mental stress. Always seems to be a case of "we've never done a reno before so let's take on this huge project that we're in no way qualified for."





    Melbourne has a few stunning churchy homes-

    http://www.katrinaleechambers.com/stunning-sunday-the-church-for-sale-in-south-melbourne/

    image.jpeg


    Inside is definitely worth a look
    Houzz Tour: Church Renovation a Golden Opportunity


    image.jpeg

    Apparently becoming more popular http://www.news.com.au/finance/real...hes-as-new-homes/story-fndba8uq-1226848103872
     
    House, 31st Mar, 2016
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  12. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Friends of ours bought a country church. My husband helped them number every piece and dismantle it to bring to Brisbane...(every Saturday for months and me with a new baby - should have put my foot down).

    They rebuilt it (using a builder) and it was beautiful, very much the style of the one just above this post, but was tall enough to hold a second level inside.

    This couple ended up divorced and it was sold. But it really was beautiful. It cost them very little because hubby gave them dozens of days of free labour and they did a huge amount themselves.

    There is another church (also very like the one just above this post) in Coorparoo that has been retained and married with a block of townhouses behind. It is obviously an old church, but it has lost its appeal and they've added a strange side flyover walkway roof beside it. The one above this post still appeals to me though. I don't mind the marriage of old and new (but hated this concept 30 years ago when we renovated a old bungalow and an architect wanted to do old/new).
     
    wylie, 31st Mar, 2016
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  13. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Aren't all the old churches in Adelaide being turned into nightclubs and gentlemen's clubs?
     
    bob shovel, 31st Mar, 2016
    #13
  14. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    East of Narrogin is most of Australia isn't it?
     
    Azazel, 31st Mar, 2016
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  15. Aaron Sice

    Aaron Sice Well-Known Member

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    That one is a doosie - MCM to the core.

    Did you see the one in Narrogin Town Centre? Or was is you that put me onto it? That would be a good conversion into smaller business lets with a studio above - maybe a small short-stay let. Narrogin is big enough to accommodate that.

    I'm working with the family that own the Bulwer St converted church next to niB Stadium.

    It's a 4x2 and a 2x2 in the one space, with a commercial space over Brisbane St. Just gorgeous.

    Bulwer Loft Apartment - 2 bedroom - Apartments for Rent in Perth
     
    Aaron Sice, 31st Mar, 2016
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  16. CU@THETOP

    CU@THETOP Well-Known Member

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    Where about in Coorparoo if I can ask?
     
    CU@THETOP, 31st Mar, 2016
    #16
  17. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Excuse the pun.
    We should refer to splitting blocks as divorcing.
     
    Azazel, 31st Mar, 2016
    #17
  18. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    On Cavendish Road, between the old Myer centre and the railway station (on the city side).

    Just google Cavendish Road, and look for the corner of Bath Street. It is updated and you can see the finished product.
     
    wylie, 31st Mar, 2016
    #18
  19. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I could so easily live in an old church. Hubby not so keen. Neither of us is religious but I do worry a little that people who've not met us who might come into our living room will think "best not swear like a trooper here" when they see the religious art on the walls :D. So I sometimes get in first with the cussing :p.

    I feel secretly guilty that I love religious art without being religious.
     
    wylie, 31st Mar, 2016
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  20. thatbum

    thatbum Well-Known Member

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    Yeah that was me. I think someone ended up buying it and just renting it out as office space.

    It was great in so many ways, but a few problems - it was strata'd in with the other units around it, and it was quite run down.

    Funnily enough the agent who sold me mine and was the agent for the narrogin one called me up last year to say she had a couple more likely to hit the market this year. In Corrigin and Harrismith apparently.
     
    thatbum, 31st Mar, 2016
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