When Juanita Clearwater put her Warrington ''flying saucer'' house on the market in Dunedin, she did not expect buyer interest to be out of this world.
But almost faster than you could say "Where did I leave my ray gun?" or "Take me to your leader" an advertisement on theinternet generated about 12,000 hits in about 24 hours, since it appeared on Monday.
Clearwater was taken by surprise by the high level of interest, including from the media.
Going boldly where few have gone before. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery, Otago Daily Times
"I never realised this would become such a frenzy," she said yesterday.
It may have been first used at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, before being refitted as a house and moved to Warrington in 1975 where it has become a landmark.
Clearwater was born in Dunedin, grew up there, attending Moreau College, and has lived in Christchurch since 1980.
She has become a successful businesswoman and her Granny Delicious natural baking mix products are sold in about 380 supermarkets.
She was ''gutted'' to be selling the house, but had become so busy with her mix products she was only able to get to the saucer crib two or three times a year.
Caretaker John Tomlins with the Warrington spaceship house. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery, Otago Daily Times
Clearwater was mindful the "UFO House", which has a rateable value of $205,000, had become an attraction for Warrington and was keen for it to stay on site.
She had previously received offers for the house but had declined to sell because prospective buyers had wanted to shift the modular-design house elsewhere, including to Australia.
She wanted to "pass the baton" of ownership to someone who would keep the flying saucer on Mother Earth, and in Warrington.
If she believed the saucer was likely to fly elsewhere, she could decide not to sell after all.
Some nearby trees had been cut back, allowing the striking-looking house to be more clearly seen again.
Over the years, there had been international interest in it.
