Cute cottage to be moved – for the third time
Relocating older houses has become more common in recent years as people look for affordable, sustainable housing solutions – and it’s likely to increase with Clarke Gayford’s new Moving Houses series starting tomorrow .
But relocating houses is hardly new.
Here’s a very sweet 142-year-old cottage that has already been moved twice and needs to be relocated for a third time – and it’s likely small enough to fit on one truck.
Woodlands Cottage, built in 1879, started life on a Wairarapa farm. It was moved down the road twice and is now on a farm 20km from Masterton, where it is currently being used to provide airbnb accommodation.
Listing agent Anneka Billing of Property Brokers Masterton says the two-storey three-bedroom cottage originally housed 14 people – it belonged to Henry James and Isobel (nee Mckenzie) and their 12 children.
‘‘It was built with New Zealand native timbers and has been
brought up to date in thoughtful ways that retain original features and character with the practicality of spaces you need for living today.’’
Billing says the hard work has been done, with new wiring throughout, new wall linings and a
cosy freestanding log fire.
Other special features include an open-plan living area, polished native timbers, gabled rooms upstairs, a spacious bathroom with a cast iron clawfoot bath, and verandas front and back.
Billing says the cottage has only
just been listed and is already attracting a lot of interest.
‘‘People have different ideas about what they would like to do with it. One person would like to bring it into the town.
‘‘It’s very hard to know what price it might fetch. We have to
gauge the price by the feedback we are getting. These sorts of homes are a very emotional thing. It depends what value people put on it.’’
The house is being offered for sale by tender, with tenders closing on October 27, 2021.