Cheaper than apartment in Hamburg or Munich?

“Cheaper than an apartment”

Why more and more people buy an island

A private island sounds like luxury for super rich. But in fact, many islands are cheaper than an apartment in Hamburg or Munich.

A place under palm trees, view of the water and be completely undisturbed: What sounds like a dream for many is obviously becoming reality for more and more people. You buy your own island. A trend where not only super -rich can participate. “An island is cheaper than most condominiums in Hamburg or Munich,” says island broker Farhad Vladi in an interview with the “Handelsblatt”.

The Hamburger has been selling islands all over the world for over 50 years. His customers range from billionaires such as Bill Gates to people “who can still count their money”. What connects everyone: they love nature and want their peace.

If you want to buy a private island, you don’t have to be a multimillionaire. Depending on where the island is located, 100,000 euros are already sufficient. According to Vladi, islands that are already developed and habitable start around 400,000 euros. In Canada or Sweden there are football -large islands with a residential building and boat pier for around 500,000 euros.

As with any property, the location and equipment are crucial for the price. While islands in the Caribbean, the South Pacific or off the Italian coast cost millions, secluded islands in the north are significantly cheaper. Vladi has already sold islands in Germany – for example in the Rhine, in the Eutin Lake or in front of Rügen.

But not every island is so easy to get to the woman or man. “We only convey in countries in which buyers receive unrestricted property rights,” says Vladi. This is not possible, for example, in Indonesia, Vietnam or in the Philippines. Thailand is also still falling out, but the laws could change there soon.

If you choose an island, you should also not underestimate the follow -up costs: around 5,000 euros a year fall for taxes and insurance. In addition, there are possible expenses for maintenance, energy supply and an administrator who takes care of the island property during absences.

The high additional costs are one reason why many owners rent their island – such as the moderator Jörg Pilawa, says Vladi. Other celebrities make an entire holiday home from their island: the magician David Copperfield runs a resort on his island.

For many, the return is still secondary: According to Vladi, the average increase in value is around ten percent a year – “hardly anyone rented an island to get rich,” he clarifies.

Islands often remain in possession for a long time – sometimes decades. Only when one of the “three D” occurs – Death (death), divorce (divorce) or debts (debts) – will resale. Sometimes it is just the desire for a change of wallpaper. For example, the cabaret artist Dieter Hallervorden is currently planning to hand over his island on the French Atlantic coast after 35 years.

The next chance for someone to make the dream come true after calm and seclusion.