Ballarat real estate: 130-year-old renovated church hits the market

Ever dreamt of living in a historic church? A painstakingly restored and renovated former Catholic Church has hit the market in Ballarat.

A former Catholic Church is expected to generate significant interest after it was listed for sale for the first time in about 40 years.

Sold as a church to the current owners in the 1980s, the property was initially kept as a weekend escape, before they painstakingly restored the original structure and built a red-brick extension about 12 years ago.

Jellis Craig partner and estate agent Phil Hayward said he expected there would be significant interest in the property, which is listed for $1.15m to 1.25m.

“It’s not a common occurrence to see a property like the come available,” he said.

“There’s a lot of interest in historic buildings at the moment. With the trend of Melburnians moving regionally and wanting more space, we expect there will be significant interest in this listing.”

St Joseph’s was originally built as a weatherboard church at the site in the 1890s, before being replaced with the brick church sometime in the 1950s, according to Mr Hayward.

Situated on a 1.2ha block and surrounded by lawns and gardens, the property boasts Gothic stained-glass windows and soaring ceilings.

Located near vineyards, the Coghills Creek Rd property is in the rural locality of Coghills Creek – about halfway between Ballarat and Daylesford.

The listing describes the home as a “labour of love for almost 40 years” with the original church building now housing an open plan living space.

View the listing here.