Renovators save historic house
It is not often a house is offered for free.
That was the case with a 90-year-old New Plymouth home, once used as a dental clinic, that came with one small condition – removal costs were not included.
Keen renovators Adam and Nicole Warner jumped at the opportunity to save the house from demolition. The two-storey Vivian St bungalow, built in 1930, was close to ending up as firewood until the couple stepped in to relocate the building to a rural site in North Taranaki.
The Warners have previously renovated two pre-century houses – one of which they live in, and the other is rented out.
New Plymouth developer Philip Brown, who bought the inner-city site to build offices, had offered the house for free if it was relocated.
‘‘We have gone out of way to save the house and we pitched the house to anyone for free,’’ he said.
The Warners had the first option among 10 interested parties vying to take the building.
Brown said the outcome was favourable to all parties, including Heritage Taranaki which did not want to see the Thomas Batesdesigned house on the scrap heap.
‘‘The timing worked out for us as the Warners were able to remove the house within the timeline of our own plans to redevelop the site, and it will be restored back to its original state.’’
The Warners intend to use the house as a family home on land at Tikorangi, 25km north of New Plymouth.
‘‘We really like the character of old houses,’’ Nicola Warner said. ‘‘It’s a lot of work but you cannot replicate the craftsmanship of buildings like these in new houses.
‘‘It oftens works out as economical to restore a house than build a new one.’’
Heritage Taranaki chairman Hamish Crimp said the organisation was also interested in the house but could not find suitable land to relocate it.
Crimp said the best outcome had been achieved.
‘‘It’s a unique building which has been kept in its original style.’’
Developer and builder John Street said the house would be cut into two parts, concrete foundations cut away, and the tiled roof, a gabled section, and an annex would be removed before it was lifted onto a truck for transportation.
Construction on the new threestory office block, and underground car parking, on the site is due to start in July.
Meanwhile, a 1903 Lemon St house was demolished yesterday after owners were unable to remove it from the site due to its poor condition.
Owner Steve Jones said a person had offered to relocate the house to Stratford but three removal companies believed the structure was to fragile to move safely. ‘‘We were able to salvage the flooring but there was too much dry rot and borer in the rest of the house,’’ he said.
Jones planned to redevelop the site with townhouses.