Scottish artist's $200000 South Island cottage 'chock-full' of antiques

- An “ancient” South Island cottage in Woodend, Invercargill, is up for auction with an RV of $200,000.

- Listing agent Carl Wilson encourages interest from developers and renovators, hoping for renovation over demolition.

- The two-bedroom cottage, dating back to the 1870s, includes quality antiques and unique artworks.

An “ancient” South Island cottage is heading to auction with an RV of $200,000 and some quality antiques.

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Listing agent Carl Wilson, of Harcourts, told OneRoof the two-bedroom miner’s cottage was attracting a lot of interest and encouraged anyone with a budget of between $100,000 and the RV should check it out

The “as is, where is” property sits on 3743sqm at 16 Blyth Street, in Woodend, Invercargill.

“It’s a wee gem but not a gem if that makes sense. It’s a wonderful opportunity for somebody,” he said.

While Wilson has advertised the property as “attention developers and renovators alike”, he told OneRoof he would love to see someone renovate rather than demolish.

The house is filled with antiques and quirky pieces, all of which will be sold with the house.

“It would be sad to see it pulled down. We don’t know its exact age but the owners are telling me it [dates back to] the 1870s.”

The cottage had belonged to a local artist who recently passed away and Wilson said the cottage was “chock-full” of antiques, which were all included in the sale.

The late owner painted mainly landscapes but also made “wonderfully unique” furniture.

“He was a Scotsman and some of his artworks are included in the sale as well,” Wilson told OneRoof, noting some “beautiful” art nouveau pieces and “lots and lots” of lanterns.

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The owner had also brought some quirk to the property, including church doors, lead lights and an arch from the kitchen to the dining room.

The house was built when Invercargill was in its infancy, Wilson said. “I think our first mayor in Invercargill was about the same time that house was built – that’s how early it is.”

While the house is described as a miner’s cottage, that just means the style of house, not that miners lived there. “It might have been part of a larger land block, maybe 10 or 20 acres, who knows. There was no real industry down there. It’s probably 20km from Bluff so it’s not like you hop on the horse and ride to work so I imagine it would just be a land-holder.”

The late owner was an artist and made the house his own, adding some special touches. Photo / Supplied

A sign on the outside of the cottage says Old Mill Cottage, which suggests wood may have been milled there in the past.

Wilson said the property was not falling apart but he encouraged people to do their due diligence.

“It’s intact and one could go and live in there if they really wanted to. You have to have a fairly strong disposition and appetite for something that was draughty and old but it could be re-piled and it could be reclad and it could be a honey of a house.

“I just hope in my wildest dreams that somebody buys it and renovates it.”

Wilson said some of those who had seen the property had fallen in love with it, adding that the vendors were realistic about what it might fetch.

”It’s quite an emotional sale for them in a lot of ways because it was dad and granddad.”

- 16 Blyth Street, in Woodend, Invercargill, goes to auction December 11