Always wanted to do Richard Branson and flee your own private island when the hustle and bustle of city life gets a little too much?
Now your (very rare) chance and everything is less than the price for a London apartment, thanks to a recent listing, which is only a short jump, skip and an aircraft in a particularly beautiful part of Northern Ireland.
Long Island on the market for £ 395,000 is a 10-hectare private island in the beautiful surroundings of the Funmanagh Lakeland, just a few minutes from Enniskillen by boat and near the luxurious amenities of the five-star song ERNE Golf Resorts.
The Catalina restaurant is a celebration of the Irish flavors and a solid reason for itself to invest in the property nearby, as well as the spa, inspired in Ireland-Meets-Thailand and the 36-hole golf course by Sir Nick Faldo, Rory Mcilroy and Padraig Harrington.
The island has a free-standing house, a multi-Berth yachthafen, a private brick, lawn, forest area and the lake side for days, but there is development potential for those with vision and budget.
The island has a legality of the existing use or development (also known as the “green light” for the structure), while the agent visualized the type of property that could be built to replace the current place of residence – a contemporary and minimalist ‘cabin’ with a spacious entertainment area that would not look outside of the hambeptons).
The current residents have had the island since 1978 and use them as a second home in which they relax, enjoy nature and spoil their passion for water sports – Waterskiing, rowing and Wakeboarding, particularly popular time in this neck of the forest.
And although it may be remote from the capital, commuting from Northern Ireland with the Irish lake either becomes an aircraft or a boat trip, since commuting from Northern Ireland is becoming increasingly popular due to affordable property and access to nature.
“Since Covid, who moved home from London from London, a significant increase has risen,” explains Claire Graham, director of Henry Graham, who specializes in sales and rentals across Northern Ireland.
“In many cases, this is because those who are still busy in London can now work remotely, while others realize that they can receive much more for their money and a better standard of living compared to the sky -highs and the cost of living in the capital compared to the basic heavenly prices and the cost of living.
“In particular, the costs for childcare have increased dramatically in recent years, which is another reason why people return – many have a family here that can help.
“After all, the IT sector has progressed very advanced here and you can get an excellent position in a company with a high salary – certainly a change compared to years ago when most of them had to go and go to the mainland to maintain employment.”
Ireland may not have the weather on its side, but it has the advantage of a tropical paradise in terms of accessibility.
The flights from Heathrow to Derry are almost an hour and a half, while Derry after Enniskillen by car is about the same, which makes it a three-hour return flight (giving or taking).
Not bad to be rewarded with your own piece of paradise in the end – it would take much longer to get to Necker Island.
Long Island in Lower Lough Erne is for sale for 395,000 GBP through Colliers New Homes.