A CONVERTED Hinton church that dates back to 1856 is set to go to auction in April.
Established as the Church of England Hinton Church, the heritage-listed chapel at 29 Paterson Street was decommissioned and became a permanent residence in 1998.
In recent years the property has operated as a short-stay accommodation rental priced at $455 per night.
The current owner bought the chapel for $640,000 in 2020.
A price guide will be available next week following the first open house inspection on Saturday.
"We are not disclosing a guide until after the first open inspection simply due to the uniqueness of the property," Belle property listing agent Alana Barker said.
"Based upon the level of interest we have had so far and the diversity of buyers, it's such a wide range so we are encouraging price feedback after the open [house] and then we can have the correct guide leading up to the auction."
The chapel includes a heritage facade with sandstone features.
Inside features two bedrooms, including one on the mezzanine level, and a second bedroom on the ground floor with an ensuite.
Original features include stained glass windows, hardwood floors and a raked ceiling.
"We have been very mindful of the original features such as the sandstone, stained glass and leadlight windows and timber features throughout the property," the owner said.
The kitchen area is located at the altar underneath the large stained glass windows and is equipped with Smeg appliances and stone benchtops.
Air conditioning and ceiling fans are also fitted throughout.
"It has a very serene and calming atmosphere," the agent said.
"It's just an amazing snapshot of history. The fig tree on the property alone is 150 years old."
The agent said the chapel has drawn strong interest from buyers both locally and out-of-area since it went live last week.
"I have been really surprised at the diversity of the level of interest," she said.
"I thought it would all have been investors looking for a unique destination venue or Airbnb accommodation but I have been really surprised that it has been a 50/50 split of people wanting to make it their home."
The property also includes The Manse Studio which was historically known as the minister's house.
According to historical information, the construction of the church began in 1856.
St. John's church was dedicated and opened for worship by Bishop Tyrrell and was in continual use as a place of worship for 142 years.
The property is open for inspection on Saturday at 4pm.
