Summerset Retirement Villages decided to save the vandalised Lockwood home in Prebbleton after buying the land where it was located - the former Meadow Mushrooms site on Springs Rd - last year.
Summerset is constructing a retirement village at the site, and recently opened its first 18 completed units.
Spokesperson Craig Jenkins said site development team members had been reluctant to see the existing house demolished, in spite of the fact it had become the target of vandals.
They subsequently came up with a plan to gift, relocate and repurpose it.
As the recipient, they chose the Papanui Baptist Church, which runs the community-focused Papanui Baptist Freedom Trust.
“Being gifted a home requires logistical planning and the church were fortunate to have suitable and available land to relocate the home to,” Jenkins said.
“It’s such a wonderful gesture from Summerset, and the property will be used to continue the community support functions that are desperately needed in our community.”
Smith Cranes was involved in the removal and relocation to the church site on Sawyers Arms Rd.
To recoup renovating costs, the church will rent out the property for the first couple of years to tenants who will be representatives of the church.
