A former Catholic church, converted to a modern four bedroom home, with an innovative and productive berry farm alongside, and views from the ocean to the Alps is for sale in South Canterbury.

Don and Patsy Deeks, in partnership with their son Matthew, purchased deconsecrated St Mary’s Star of the Sea in Makikihi on State Highway 1 between Timaru and Oamaru in June 2017. The church was much as it was when first built in 1903: a piece of local history with great potential, although requiring plenty of work. Now the Deeks have done much of that work, giving a new owner the opportunity to make the most of the potential St Mary’s Berries presents, as Patsy explains.

“When we took over it was a church and bare land, no plumbing inside, and nothing but old deformed macrocarpa trees outside.

“After internal framing for two floors, fitting out bathrooms, a kitchen and a staircase to transform it into a home, the atmosphere in the church now is really calm: peaceful and serene. It is a beautiful building to live in, and works so well when our family comes to visit, including grandchildren. It is warm, and comfortable, with heat pumps upstairs and down,” she says.

Outside the 2.02 hectare property has been planted with 800 blueberry plants, 200 boysenberry canes, approximately 2000 strawberry plants and around 1500 haskap berry bushes. Haskaps, sometimes known as honeyberries, are a blue-berried honeysuckle, offering a rich source of vitamins, antioxidants and polyphenols that have been commercially pioneered in Canada, and are well suited to South Canterbury growing conditions.

After establishing the property and the business over the previous six years, Don and Patsy have decided to sell so they can be closer to their grandchildren in the lower North Island. They have engaged Lyz Palmer and Ricky McLeod of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Timaru to offer St Mary’s Berries to the market. Lyz says the church has been repurposed to an excellent standard, making it a unique and high quality dwelling.

“A triple brick structure with wooden ceilings and exposed original timber beams that has been earthquake proofed to modern standards, St Mary’s church has been meticulously renovated, turning it into the ultimate character home. Its stained-glass windows have a second pane of glass fitted to act as double glazing while maintaining their original integrity; art deco lighting finishes the downstairs area beautifully; the master bedroom is a fantastic almost-hexagonal sunken room over the altar below; and electricity bills are minimised by solar panels fitted to the roof.

“Outside, the roof has been replaced and significant drainage work has been completed while improvements to support the berry business include a new two bay tractor/implement shed; and scheme water for domestic and irrigation use, with the latter stored in four 30,000 litre tanks.

“A new owner has scope to use the church to enhance the business, such as by opening a café, or transforming it into visitor accommodation, though it will equally well suit a family; while the berry farm is still arriving at optimum productivity, and the potential of the haskaps can build significantly. In addition, three entrances to the property off State Highway 1 throw open all sorts of opportunities,” she says.

Local Fruitfed Supplies technical horticultural representative Malcolm Duncan, also part of PGG Wrightson, has worked closely with the Deeks as they have developed the business. He says St Mary’s Berries offers a new owner unlimited scope.

“A lot of love and passion has gone into the business. Its potential now is only restricted by the imagination of whoever takes it on. As well as the unique setting of a fully restored church, the quality outbuildings and infrastructure, with irrigation and fertigation systems in place, are all fully set up, and the fruit production is just hitting its stride. Haskaps are an added dimension that, with all the criteria of a superfood, could really take off.

“All the hard work has all been done: this is a dream property for someone,” he says.