Churches, cemeteries, and a haunted bakery: Meet the Tassie agent who sold them all

Over the past six years, she sold manors, churches, cemeteries and haunted houses. She spoke to REB about her experiences.

The haunted bakery

When she started selling heritage properties, Stephens secured a Hamilton listing: a former general store, bakery, and butcher shop all in one, built in the 1800s.

The character-filled property featured a versatile café and shop space with a commercial kitchen, dining area, four bedrooms, and a shared bathroom, as well as an adjoining 19th-century butcher’s shop, along with other lands and outbuildings.

Stephens said the Hamilton property was an interesting case because the owners had run a bakery downstairs and lived above, but had already moved out when she got the listing.

“When I was there showing it one day, I was locking up, the clients had gone, it was empty, and I heard banging twice. There was no wind, and everything was locked up,” Stephens told REB.

“I called the owner and told them there was a funny noise, and they just answered ‘yes, it's the ghost, he does that all the time’.”

“Apparently, the ghost used to close the door under the stairs, and that was what the banging was.”

According to the previous owners, the property had a reputation for a “friendly ghost,” and it never caused any issues for staff working there.

Stephens said that in Hamilton, many homes were built in the 1800s and share similar stories, as early deaths were common and often occurred at home, becoming part of the area’s history.

While Stephens disclosed the friendly ghost to the new owners, she said it's not a feature she heavily marketed.

“Some people don't believe in ghosts. For the non-believers, they're not interested. They don't want to know. They just think it's a load of rubbish."

“Then you get some people who love the idea of a ghost being there, provided it's friendly.”

“Heritage properties often attract buyers intrigued by the possibility of ghosts. since they were built in the 1800s, past residents have died on the premises, which isn’t really found in modern homes.”

The Church of St Mary the Virgin and its cemetery

While Stephens said that many are intrigued by heritage listings, it requires finding special buyers to look after a church and active cemeteries.

Last year, she sold The Church of St Mary the Virgin and its cemetery in Gretna.

The church, built around 1848, is a stone Gothic Revival building with largely original interiors, featuring rendered walls and an exposed roof structure, with an adjoining cemetery of 300 headstones.

“There are people who won't buy a cemetery because they're worried about spirits or ghosts that might be sort of hanging around."

“Other people like the idea that they're helping these souls, or if they're around, they're not going to do them harm anyway.”

Stephens said that, in contrast to selling traditional residential properties, heritage homes attract buyers who are passionate about these dwellings and their history.

“You often find that buyers who are looking for a heritage property aren't so particular about where it is, but are getting the right property."

“We have people looking for heritage pre-1900, and it has to be able to fit their big dining table, which can't fit into a typical house or all our antique furniture."

“Then they'll look within potentially up to an hour of Hobart if it's to get the right property. And so there are different types of buyers usually.”

To help their clients find their right heritage home, Stephens said she spends time researching the history of these properties.

She said that heritage dwellings usually have fascinating histories, including St. Mary's Church, which was central to local life in the 1850s, hosting services, community events such as the blessing of the fleece, and commemorations.

“Many buyers are drawn to these homes for their rich pasts, so I really try and do a lot of research about the history, then we use that in the marketing as well.”

“It's just really promoting it because often you find that people have driven past these old places or seen them and always admired them, and often the buyer who does buy these places isn't in the market today, but will for that particular property.”

Stephens said that despite the extra paperwork, agents selling heritage-listed properties must conduct thorough research about the property and inform buyers of the specialised maintenance these homes require.

She suggested that agents speak with the Heritage Council to determine what conversions are possible by having a representative visit the property.

“While churches allow conversion to residence, you’ve got to work within the council guidelines."

“So actually having those discussions with Heritage is really vital because it actually can reassure buyers that while they may want to make some changes, and it tells them what is possible,” she concluded.