The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Real estate: Australians buy islands instead of houses

2021-12-25T10:08:09.129Z


Australia has more than 8,000 islands. They are enjoying growing popularity as an object of purchase. Because having your own island is now often cheaper than a house in Sydney.


Enlarge image

Private idyll: View from Worthington Island to the water

Photo: private / dpa

Wild scrubland, in which kangaroos and ant urchins live, surrounded by bright blue water - and only a five by nine meter house that indicates civilization.

Craig Beckey did what most people only dream of: He bought an island.

His little paradise is called Worthington Island.

The approximately 280,000 square meter island is located in a channel on the Queensland coast, the "Sunshine State" in the tropical northeast, popular with tourists from all over the world.

"I never had the plan to live on an island," Beckey told the German press agency.

"But when I saw a television advertisement for the island, I was curious." He bought Worthington Island almost a year and a half ago for just under 385,000 Australian dollars (around 244,000 euros).

Compared to the usual Australian property prices - especially in the big cities - this is a bargain.

The average cost of a house in Sydney is currently just under 1.4 million Australian dollars (around 887,000 euros).

Nationwide, house prices rose by around 20 percent in the past year - this is the result of evaluations by CoreLogic, a company that publishes statistics on the real estate market.

So if you can't afford the million dollar villa with sea view, you could even be cheaper with an entire island - private beach included.

But it is not only the skyrocketing real estate prices that are making islands more attractive, the Corona crisis has also caused a rethink.

"We have had a lot of inquiries since the pandemic," says Richard Vanhoff, a real estate agent specializing in islands.

"People who otherwise would never have thought of leaving their city can now imagine a different lifestyle."

Home office is also possible on the island

In addition, those who have been working from home since the pandemic are no longer bound to live close to their place of work.

Many Australian employers have announced that they will allow flexible working from home even after the pandemic.

Vanhoff has just sold an island to a writer from the southern state of Victoria.

"The buyer wrote in a little house in the mountains beforehand, so isolation was nothing new to him," says Vanhoff.

"The lockdowns have restricted his freedom of movement - he can now do what he wants on his island."

The complete seclusion, freedom and tranquility are what make their own island so attractive for many.

But the lifestyle is also associated with a lot of work and obstacles.

"Not every island has white dream beaches and palm trees," says Craig Beckey.

"Worthington Island is more like a large, wild bush lot."

The 55-year-old commutes between his island and the coastal town of Noosa.

Not only does his partner live here, his work as a product and real estate photographer also takes him to the mainland again and again.

It's a five-hour drive to Gladstone, from where Beckey rents a boat that will take him to his island in around 45 minutes.

“Everything that is supposed to go on the island has to fit in the boat, including building materials, for example.

I want to keep improving everything, but it's only going slowly, ”says Beckey.

He depends on the help of friends and family, who in return can enjoy the tranquility of Worthington Island.

"You have to take care of everything yourself"

Beckeys little hut is equipped with solar panels, in bad weather the emergency generator has to work. There is also a water tank and a gas grill, and a real toilet will soon follow. “Fishing, catching crabs and just hanging out - that's what it's all about,” he says. Living in luxury is not - in many ways the opposite is the case. “Everything costs a little more effort, time and money. There is no garbage disposal here, you have to take care of everything yourself. "

Australia has a total of 8222 islands.

Most of them are in the sparsely populated state of Western Australia, almost 2000 in sunny Queensland.

This is also where the world-famous Whitsunday Islands are located, a group of 74 islands directly in front of the largest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef.

However, only a few islands can be sold to private individuals.

"Over the past year we have listed 16 islands, nine of which have been sold," says Broker Vanhoff.

"Unfortunately, the supply is very scarce and the demand is high."

While Craig Beckey got a real bargain with Worthington Island, many islands are more expensive.

"We have some in the $ 1 million to $ 3 million range, but there are also islands up to $ 40 million with luxury resorts," says Vanhoff.

Living on your own island in Australia is no longer just a dream that only the super-rich can fulfill.

“You feel so far away from everyone and everything.

It's a very nice feeling, ”says Beckey.

He has big plans for Worthington Island: He wants to build a beautiful, comfortable house with a view of the sea where he can spend the rest of his life.

dab / dpa

Source: spiegel

All business articles on 2021-12-25

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.