Time to pass the parcel for post office
Character building conversions always spark interest and the former Aro St post office building in Wellington is no exception.
Bec Roberts and Thomas Brooks have just listed their converted home in Aro Valley, and about 150 people took the opportunity to have a look around during the open home last weekend.
The couple, who have owned the building for more than six years, say they fell for the building at first sight.
‘‘It had already been converted into a home,’’ says Roberts. ‘‘Previous owners had taken out all the boxy rooms and gutted the place, so it’s a super open-plan house. We saw it come up for sale and immediately went to look and found it really interesting and beautifully finished.
‘‘We loved the mix of 1910 character and modern elements, and I wanted to run a shop at the front of the building.’’
For several years Roberts ran a homewares store from the premises, selling vintage and industrial furniture. About two years ago, she closed the store to start another business – and the space occupied by the store is now a living and dining room.
‘‘The spaces are very flexible in terms of use,’’ she says. ‘‘The master bedroom and bathroom are upstairs, along with my [ceramics] studio, which could be a second bedroom. This space also has a mezzanine bed platform.’’
Roberts says not long after they moved into the house, they were given a photo of the former post office ‘‘back in the day’’, which they have framed.
The building also has several bright red accents that reference its former life – the front door is bright red, along with interior doors in the main living area and windows and doors at the rear.
Other key features include the exposed brickwork, timber beams and steel I-beams.
Roberts says the building is ideally suited for someone who wants to run a business downstairs, so they feel it’s time to pass it on to a new owner. But they would like to keep living in the area.
‘‘We have lived in three different homes in Aro Valley and absolutely love it,’’ she says.
Craig Lowe of listing agency Lowe & Co, says Aro Valley has long held appeal for Wellingtonians. ‘‘For many years it was all about hippies; now it’s hipsters living here,’’ he says.
‘‘Properties in Aro Valley are very tightly held – the village has become incredibly popular. It’s on the city fringe yet still has the charm of a suburban village. It has become a real haven for urban professionals.
‘‘I think the other reason there is so much interest in this property is because there is only a handful of character shop frontages on the sunny side of the street. And it’s a real credit to the owners – what they have done with it.’’
The property is being sold by tender, with buyer enquiry over $799,000 invited. Tenders close on February 28, 2019.