Nearly 50 churches have been sold across South Australia in the past five years, with buildings being converted into homes, Airbnbs and commercial hubs.
It raises the question of whether Adelaide can keep it’s long-held title as the City of Churches, as a growing number of religious properties appear on the property market.
A Sunday Mail analysis of real estate listings found 48 church buildings sold statewide in the past five years, including four so far this year.
Three more are currently on the market at Prospect, Wakefield and Mount Gambier.
Real estate agent Rachel Lawrie said church buildings were being sold because of shrinking congregations and rising maintenance costs.
“Most churches are consolidating, especially since the start of Covid,” Ms Lawrie said.
“The outgoings on maintaining those beautiful buildings would be massive.
“It’s about saving money, consolidating, and bringing smaller congregations together into one area rather than having multiple smaller ones, while keeping that community spirit alive.”
Ms Lawrie said the majority of church buyers were younger people who wanted to convert churches into homes or Airbnbs, particularly for wedding festivities.
“We’re finding people want that space, the air and the light because churches let in this beautiful natural light,” she said.
“There’s also the Airbnb market. People love them, especially for wedding parties … the bride gets ready there, has photos taken there, so it follows the theme of the day.”
Last year, the former St Aidan’s Anglican Church on Payneham Rd, Marden sold for nearly $3.5m, after parishioners cited a sinking foundation.
Its new owners plan to convert the church into a building and materials finishes display centre, with a new two-storey commercial hub built on the existing carpark.
Planning documents lodged with the local council by Eastern Building Group revealed there would be two office tenancies on each floor, with parts of the building demolished.
Other recent sales include former Block contestant Mat Johnson’s $250,000 purchase of a 1910 country church at Brinkworth in December – currently being renovated into a home.
Artist David Bromley’s 1880s church-to-home building conversion at Alberton sold for $3m in February.
Ms Lawrie said listings had increased in the past five years, but expected the trend to stabilise. “It’s probably eased back a little since (Covid) … but they do keep popping up, and they remain very popular,” she said.
“It might stabilise and the number coming to market might drop off, but I can’t see religion disappearing when it’s survived for centuries already.”
Ms Lawrie said that she believed Adelaide would keep its long-lived nickname regardless of how many churches are sold off.
“Even if a building isn’t classified as a place of worship anymore, it’s still architecturally and structurally a church since it was designed and built as one,” she said.
“Adelaide still deserves the title because we have so many of these beautiful buildings throughout the city and regional areas.”
The Sunday Mail’s analysis found most city church buildings sold for more than $1m, while regional churches typically sold for less than $500,000.
St Denys Church at Wirrulla, on Eyre Peninsula, recorded the cheapest sale at $65,000 in 2022, while a state heritage-listed church at Bowden sold for $2.5m in the same year.
Former Uniting Church buildings accounted for the largest share of sales among religious denominations statewide.
The Uniting Church in Australia were contacted but declined to comment.