Patea's old post office changes hands after years of attempted sales

The former post office was built in 1923. Photo / Supplied.

The nearly 100-year-old former post office in the south Taranaki town of Patea has sold after being on and off the market for about five years.

The two-storey building on Patea's main road was built in 1923 and served as the town's post office, with a room upstairs for the postmaster and their family.

First National selling agent Kelly Baldwin said although there was interest in the building, getting it sold was hard work.

"There was a lot of work and it took a while for the right buyer to come along," she said.
"It's a beautiful building but it wasn't an easy sale."

In recent years the building was a home and also used as a bed and breakfast. Photo / Supplied.

Baldwin said one difficulty was with the 96-year-old building's construction.

"There are a lot more implications around earthquake strengthening and that's something buyers have to be aware of."

The building's importance is recognised by the South Taranaki District Council, which gives it a cultural value rating of 10 out of 20 which includes an architectural value rating of 3 out of 4.

The property was listed for $239,000, but Baldwin wouldn't confirm the price it sold for or who purchased it.

The building also comes with a 1200sq m block. Photo / Supplied.

Baldwin said she had tried to sell the property a few years ago and it had been with a few different real estate agents before her.

In recent years the building has been used as a residential home, and bed and breakfast.
It has 590sq m of floor space and in July was being rented out to two tenants for $490 per week.

Land where the building sits was designated for a post office in 1867 when Patea was surveyed.

Before that, an irregular mail service ran between Patea and Whanganui and all letters were carried under military escort.