Worker’s cottage ‘just like a storybook’ is listed for sale

There’s a street on Bluff Hill in Napier that’s famous for its cluster of original workers’ cottages that date back to the late 1880s - and it’s a street equally well known for larger, more expensive homes.

But it’s those quaint, character cottages that draw the eye, and none more so than number 95, which has been beautifully renovated by owner Mary Massara, who bought the property several years ago.

“I knew the guy who owned it before, and I said ‘if you ever want to sell it, let me know’,” she says. “It was quite dilapidated. There were three people living there and lots of car parts. It didn’t have any balustrading at the front.”

Massara says she had seen a renovated worker’s cottage in another town that was “very cute, with a red- and white-striped roof”. After she bought the 80m² house, she proceeded to completely transform it, using a similar paint scheme on the exterior, and updating the interior throughout.

She says it was mostly a cosmetic project, and she gave it lots of love and attention, which it needed. “The interior was all dark varnished wood with lots of dingy colours. I got a really good master painter who took so much pride in his work. He really loved the house, and the traditional character; he even redid all the locks on the doors.”

Massara installed a new character kitchen with traditionally styled panel doors on the cabinetry, but kept the old black coal range in place. Similarly, the original sash windows and board-and-batten ceilings remain. And the original timber floorboards are polished.

Modern “comforts” include underfloor heating in the new bathroom and a heat pump.

In addition to the two bedrooms and bathroom in the cottage, there’s a studio at the rear, which provides another bedroom or study, plus a toilet. Other features of the back yard include extensive timber decking, an outdoor shower and an elevated brick patio that’s not only private, but also bathed in sun.

Massara lives in another house close by the cottage and says she has been offering this one as an Airbnb, with glowing reviews - guests have described it as “a dream”. But she says personal circumstances have taken her attention recently, and she has reluctantly decided to put the property on the market.

“I am a little sad to be selling the cottage.” But she says, a new owner or owners will appreciate the location - “it’s just a 10-minute walk to town, or down to Ahuriri. I have a scooter I like to use.”

Massara doesn’t know exactly how old the cottage is, but her insurance company estimates late 1880s. Council records simply say “pre-1910”.

Listing agent Caro Meo of NZ Sotheby’s International Realty Hawke’s Bay says the cottage is not heritage-listed, so there are no heritage restrictions in place. But she says, the character aspects of the cottages have long appealed to the community and visitors alike.

“People are quite emotional about this street. And there’s more than meets the eye with these cottages. This is like a storybook, and it will appeal to quite a broad range of people, including first-home buyers and people downsizing.”

Property market update: Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson says with mortgage rates already having fallen a long way, housing affordability becoming more favourable, listings “down a bit”, and the economy set to improve, 2026 looks likely to see a rise in both property sales activity and house prices.

“However, would-be buyers may not necessarily need to be too concerned about falling behind. After all, with the stock of housing having risen in recent years relative to population, and debt-to-income ratio caps also now in action, only a modest rise in prices of perhaps 5% or less seems more likely than a fresh boom.”

“Prospective buyers, whether that’s owner-occupiers or investors, will also no doubt be pleased that values remain around 17% below their early 2022 peak – with some likely to be viewing this as a strong opportunity to snap up ‘bargains’ at what might prove to be the low point for the market.”