The three-bedroom, double-brick villa, on Lawrence’s Lancaster St, was listed by its owners of 35 years last week, for offers over $695,000.
Ray White Dunedin agent Megan Young said the 1902 home had already attracted attention from across the country.
"It is so Kiwi. It embraces everything patriotic about being a Kiwi.
"And with the Woods connection, it’s only natural that it’s ‘going for a song’," she said.
The villa was built on a half-acre section (2024sq m) by local teacher and choirmaster John Joseph Woods, who was also Tuapeka County clerk for 55 years.
Woods made musical history when he entered a competition in 1876 to set God Defend New Zealand, a poem by Thomas Bracken, to music.
The tune was an instant hit and was adopted as the national anthem a few years later.
Mrs Young said the home retained many period features.
"The owners have created this home from the peaceful, landscaped garden, which is very private and rich in so many varieties of trees and plants.
"The home, while updated over time, retains heaps of character. And even though it looks big from outside, it’s deceptively cosy and warm. All living areas have access to the outside."
A Heritage New Zealand Category 2-listed home, it was built with many "modern conveniences" as they were seen at the time, such as an indoor bathroom and a scullery.
Mrs Young said the owners bought the house for $44,000 in 1990.
"They thought the price was missing a digit.
"They’ve transformed the home, as it was in a state of some disrepair at the time."
The Lawrence property market has enjoyed a flurry during recent months, registering its first two million-dollar house sales over winter.
