Former resident Owen Watson said the three-bedroom villa in Cannington Rd had been sold and would be moved to Braeside in Mosgiel in a fortnight.
The house was built in 1914 and his parents had bought it and the 4046sq m of the Maori Hill land in 1921 and built commercial glasshouses on the property to grow table grapes.
He was born in the house in 1929 and moved to another house at the back when he married his wife, Nolene (79). The couple still lived in the house, Mr Watson said.
After the death of his father in 1940, his mother continued to live in the villa, he said.
The villa was cold and was positioned poorly for sun. The living areas and bedrooms were the last rooms to be warmed by the sun.
''The toilet got it first, then the wash house, the coal house and then the scullery.''
Dunedin man Colin Dick would be building another house on the empty site, he said.
Baker Richard Milmine said he bought the villa in December last year and was having it moved to a 1400sq m Braeside lot.
Building a new house would have been a cheaper option but new houses lacked character.
''You can't build character.''
He would insulate the villa, reline some walls, replace the windows with double-glazed glass and install a new kitchen.
The villa would be positioned for maximum exposure to the sun, he said.
