Inside the state's best church conversion properties

News.com.au

2 days ago

They were once Houses of God – now they're home to a big spending elite seeking luxury living with a divine twist.
A growing number of historic churches across NSW have undergone jaw-dropping makeovers into up-market homes with cathedral ceilings, stained-glass windows and alters turned into showpieces for big screen TVs.
The former churches – many buildings that once housed large congregations before falling out of use – have become a magnet for developers cashing in on the city's hunger for character homes.
It's a real estate resurrection powered by both shifting values and brutal economics.
As congregations dwindle and church attendance drops across Australia, many religious institutions are left grappling with the rising cost of maintaining ageing buildings.
Dozens of churches, particularly in regional NSW, have been quietly sold off over the past decade, attracting builders with bold visions and big budgets.
Real estate agent Holly Newbigging of One Agency, who has sold church conversions, said buyers were drawn to many aspects of owning one.
'There's something truly special about them,' she said. 'The character, the history, the sense of space you simply can't recreate with a standard build.
'Homes like this offer a rare opportunity to own a piece of architectural history, transformed for modern living.'
One of the most recent sales was one of two residences converted from the old Mill Hill church in Bondi Junction. The home sold for $4.25 million in February.
A previous owner, Julie Phillips, told The Sunday Telegraph shortly before selling the home in 2021 that she had been 'intrigued' by the 'dramatic' style of the church-turned-home.
She revealed that the home had a 'wonderful atmosphere' and that occasionally she would get people knocking on her door wondering when church proceedings would start.
Out in Downside, just north of Wagga Wagga, an old Presbyterian Church remodelled into a modern five-bedroom, three-bathroom residence is now up for sale.
Ms Newbigging said the home on Downside Rd was an 'exemplary blend' of past and present.
'The main living, dining, and kitchen area occupies what was once the Downside Presbyterian Church, built in 1937,' she said.
'Original brickwork and soaring ceilings have been beautifully preserved, creating a sense of space and grandeur.'
The home is listed for $2.4 million, $1.7 million above the median house price in Wagga Wagga.
MORE: Brutal reaction to 3D printed public housing
In Waratah, a northwestern suburb of Newcastle, a church on Station St built in 1955 has been converted into a home, now up for sale. No price guide has been released but an automated valuation on property.com.au estimated the home to be worth about $2.6 million.
Once used by Uniting Church, the property comprises the church and hall next door.
The former nave is now a living area which maintains its high cathedral ceilings and a centrepiece stained glass window.
In Orange, a church at 1 Bathurst Rd that was operational for over 100 years is being offered as a potential conversion site.
The church, which held its last service in 2018, is up for sale with McGrath Orange director Scott Petersen.
'I've had a huge amount of interest from far and wide,' Mr Petersen said. 'The recent DA approval opens up options such as a wine bar, cafe, restaurant or small events venue.'
According to Churches Australia, it was the site of the declaration of Orange as a city in 1946.
Returning to Sydney, a striking sandstone church on Mocur St in Woollahra remains one of the oldest churches to be converted into a residence.
Built in 1877 by architect Benjamin Backhouse, the revamped gothic cathedral turned luxury house sold for a cool $4.8 million.