Buyers are attracted by the big spaces and the unique architectural features of the buildings.

In many cases, the former churches are protected by their heritage status which means they cannot be demolished or significantly altered.

Here are three examples of church-to-home transformations:

A desire to escape the Auckland rat race led Nelson's Steve Galpin and Tor Muriwai to their former Methodist church.

Built in 1904, it had been converted into a café, while at the rear there was a two storey, three-bedroom home, formerly the Sunday school hall.

The pair filled the space with their treasures, but have recently moved on - it was just too big.

Jaimee and Ryan Whiston converted a huge unused church in Dunedin into a home creating a place for their young family in the city's waterfront suburb of St Clair.

They said "church conversion was never on our radar but we are both creative and really didn't want another typical renovation."

When they saw a church was for sale, they just had an overwhelming urge to go and look.

"Once we walked inside and saw the stunning windows, we were sold."

Clemency Boyce and Greg Donson converted a former Whanganui Presbyterian church hall into a family home for them and their two children.

Donson was one of the children who attended the Sunday school services back in the 80s.

He had many happy memories of the space and, when he returned to Whanganui, he happened to arrange a visit.

Coincidentally the church was planning to sell, so the pair jumped at the chance to convert it into a home to share with their daughter Tilda and son Inigo.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

The St James Presbyterian Church building was listed for sale on Trade Me. The auction closed shortly after 11am when the church sold for $11,100 from a total of 115 bids.

The church, made of heart rimu, was built in 1905 but has not been used since 2012 when an engineer's report found it only had 8 per cent of the strength of buildings built to the current earthquake safety standard but it is listed as a heritage building so it can't be knocked down. Continue reading

St Christopher's church and Seatoun Village Hall have been transformed into a vibrant community hub by young musicians, dancers, craft and exercise groups.

The Presbytery's attempt to buy the buildings for their own use was met with much opposition from locals, and at the last moment patrons Sir Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh came to the rescue. Continue reading

They have spent the past decade converting what was St John's Presbyterian Church in Cromwell into a home.

Respect for the former users of the building and those who worked so hard to construct and maintain it underlines the sympathetic makeover. Continue reading

The former St James Presbyterian church near the Wellington Hospital has been completely rebuilt to accommodate five new apartments.

The 176 square-metre penthouse, the last apartment in the development to be sold, has retained all the character features of the historic 1880s church, including a massive 4.5m stud, vaulted timber ceilings and a dramatic rose window.

And it comes with spectacular 360 degree views from the tower room at the top.

Real Estate Agent Pano Focas says he wouldn't even want to hazard a guess as to what the penthouse might fetch.

The other five apartments in the former church "blew away sales records for the area" last month, and there were 10 tenders for each property.

"The interest was huge," he says.

"I have never been so run off my feet in 12 years in real estate."

Focas says he cannot reveal the selling prices until after settlement, but says they "exceeded expectations".

He said the project was a "labour of love" for developer Sheryl-Maree Gulliver, who has a background in the restoration of historic buildings and was passionate about maintaining the quality of the build.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz