Find a church and buy a cheap home in rural Victoria

THERE is a way to buy a cheap home in country Victoria and you don’t have to rely on a miracle.

Find a church for sale in country Victoria as it can be a cheaper residential choice if buyers know what to look for according to advice from real estate agents.

The farmrealestate.com.au website’s rural Victorian property sales database has recorded 40 church sales in central Victoria alone since 2005.

Church properties are affordable

And contrary to spiralling Victorian house prices churches have proven to be affordable and provide reasonable resale value (see examples below).

Director of FP Nevins Real Estate Inglewood http://www.fpnevins.com.au in central Victoria, James Nevins, has sold many churches over the last 10 years that become dwellings.

“There are more people trying to buy these old buildings to refigure them,” James says.

James says the churches he has sold in recent years were bought to preserve or more usually as residences and holiday homes.

A church and any related buildings such as a presbytery or manse are generally really well built and worth any updating effort according to James.

Research church real estate

James advises people seeking to buy an old church to convert into a dwelling is to treat it like any residential purchase and do the necessary research.

(The farmrealestate.com.au website has since 2000 compiled a subscription database of detailed Victorian rural property sales records of churches, hobby farms, country homes and many different farm types. See examples below)

“Timber churches are more likely to need repairs,” James says.

He says church purchasers he has dealt with generally have to add a bathroom and a kitchen.

Some churches may not have all essential services installed such as sewer, water and power.

In James experience with church sales buyers do not need to get their property rezoned residential as there is an existing structure.

They would probably need to get a council permit to renovate James says.

Stone churches rock

Hamilton based real estate agent and principal of Groves Real Estate http://www.grovesrealestate.com.au, is Darren Groves. Some church buyers he has dealt with want to convert the building into a space to conduct a business.

In his Western Victorian property sales area the churches are mainly built of stone.

He recommends that if someone is intends to buy a stone church to search for signs of cracking.

“Some (churches) are sound and some are on ground that moves,” Darren says.

“My advice would be to do the research you need to do and make the best offer.”

Darren advises churches are usually historic buildings so buyers should check with the relevant council to see if any heritage orders apply.

“Sometimes there are heritage overlays on church facades,” Darren says.

He says as church properties do not have to pay any local government rates this is one less cost that usually applies when buying a residence.

Recent rural church sales

In 2008 a former Church of Christ property at 8840 Midland Highway, Harcourt, on 2787 square metres sold $149,600. In April 2021 the property sold $510,000.

In 2021 a Gothic style century old stone Catholic Church at 38 High Street Macarthur on about 4420 square metres sold $270,000.