He said that of the eight to 10 churches of various denominations near his home, only about half are still churches.Īlthough the Pecks’ home already was converted when they bought it, they made further changes to the interior. Many churches closed, and some of those became private homes. Grant Peck, 58, a business executive, estimates his family’s home was deconsecrated in the late 1970s or early 1980s, when congregations of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational churches merged to become the Uniting Church. In Australia, some 200 converted churches were sold in 2020, according to Mardi Doherty, director of Studio Doherty, who helped the Pecks redesign their home. “Location is a huge driver, and it’s more a matter of what a person feels when entering the home that ultimately dictates its salability." Hendley says he has seen a resurgence in people wanting to create residences out of historic structures. “Their size isn’t necessarily correlated with their values," he says. But when there is a strong market trend, prices generally follow suit. “To wake up every day and be a part of history is a beautiful thing."Ĭonverted homes don’t typically follow market trends, adds Jeff Hendley, founding partner of Compass Denver. “But everything is fixable," says Perreault. And converted homes in general, she adds, tend to be more expensive to maintain than traditional houses. She warns that homeowners who convert a historic building may have to deal with complex rezoning, finance and permit issues, as well as possible structural problems. They are working on a second church conversion in Canada, after one in Princeton, Ontario. “Most people who enjoy unique homes are unique themselves," says Lynn Perreault, owner of Harper & Co., Burks Falls, Ontario, who has renovated numerous homes with her partner, Jonathon Harmer. “Everybody who comes in here says the same thing it just has an energy that’s really nice." “This building just wraps its arms around you," says Jennifer Peck, 58, a former educator and business owner. The solid brick construction blocks out noise from traffic and neighbors, and offers a sense of comfort. Even more than its architecture, they like the feel of the four-level home, where they live with their daughter Amelia, 23. The Pecks were initially drawn to the structure’s five-story tower and three-story stained-glass windows that once welcomed worshippers to the church. As a family of five, they previously resided in a century-old farmhouse and before that in a modern-architectural home. Their three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,830-square-foot home, built in 1933, is the latest of the distinctive abodes the Pecks have lived in. It is part of a small complex that includes two other renovated church buildings-an 1800s church and a Sunday school-plus a newly constructed unit. They bought half of the subdivided church for $1.8 million in 2015. Where they are viewing it from is just as imposing: the top of a bell tower in the renovated Methodist church they call home in Hawthorn, an inner suburb of Melbourne.
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