The property has been for sale for a month, and Tall Poppy real estate agent Peter Hishon said he had received ‘‘several’’ inquiries.
‘‘It is a great opportunity for someone and there’s a massive need for ... accommodation for people passing through to stay,’’ Mr Hishon said.
He said the district lacked that style of accommodation.
The property has room for 29 people within its nine rooms.
The property’s outgoing owners, also orchard owners, have owned it only a short time and are now building accommodation on their orchard instead, Mr Hishon said.
In the 2024 Central Otago District Council’s annual residents survey, released last month, 16 respondents noted housing was a barrier to economic development.
Two people specifically raised the idea of seasonal accommodation.
According to an estimate from Radio New Zealand, Central Otago orchards employed 5000 people annually.
One local grower said their employees would struggle to find somewhere to stay if they did not supply accommodation themselves.
Jill Mansell, of Jackson Orchards, in nearby Cromwell, has been providing accommodation for the operation’s 70 workers for more than 20 years.
‘‘You have to or you won’t get people ... there’s a lot of people coming in to the area and there is a shortage of accommodation,’’ she said.
More recently, Jackson Orchards has started hiring additional cabins for their staff as well.
- Lauren Pattemore
