Feel like being king of the jungle? B.C.'s Mowgli Island on the market for $3.8 million
Cheryl Chan (The Province)
Updated: November 05, 2014 1:29 PM
The Province > business > mortgages
The island has approximately 3,400 linear feet of low bank waterfront with sandy beaches, plus a 50' "L" shaped dock.. / mowgliisland.com
Mowgli Island houses a retreat featuring 4 bedrooms and a separate 350-sq.ft. studio/bunk house.. / privateislandsonline.com
The island has approximately 3,400 linear feet of low bank waterfront with sandy beaches, plus a 50' "L" shaped dock.. / privateislandsonline.com
Over 1000-sq.ft. of expansive decks surround the home on Mowgli island.. / privateislandsonline.com
A view of Mowgli Island, which has been left largely in its natural state.
The island has a four-bedroom waterfront cabin.
Among features are a long dock and sandy beaches.
A private island in B.C.'s southern Gulf Islands is up for grabs at $3.8 million.
Mowgli Island was listed on the real estate market in July — the second time in its history it's been up for sale — and has already been the subject of several inquiries.
"There's always some islands for sale, but it's all about the location," said listing agent Jamie MacDougall of Sothebys Realty Canada. "As far as the southern Gulf Islands go, this is a treasure."
The 3.6-hectare island, located north of Saltspring Island, features a 2,200-square-foot house built in 1991 by Vancouver-based architectural firm Osburn/Clarke Productions, which specializes in Gulf Island homes.
It boasts four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a separate 350-sq.-ft. studio, and expansive decks overlooking the water and old-growth forests. The house runs on solar power and a backup generator.
The island's current owner, a retired Victoria businessman, purchased the property in 2009 for $2.2 million. He used it as a vacation home for family gatherings in the summer and holidays, but is giving it up because he wants to travel more.
Unlike many small islands in the region, Mowgli was spared from heavy logging and most of the island was left in its natural state by the original owner.
The current owner made extensive improvements, building trail networks that criss-cross the island, with benches and scenic viewing locations.
The idyllic retreat also has sandy beaches, a 50-foot dock and waters teeming with fish, making the island "a boater's paradise," said MacDougall.
So far, the property has had eight showings and two offers.
The majority of the showings have been to overseas Chinese buyers — generally not avid boaters, said MacDougall, but "for some of them, it's a place to entertain family and friends. It can also be an ego purchase," he said.
The largest draw is the location, MacDougall said: "It's 15-20 minutes on the seaplane, in and out. It's low maintenance."
The island is a 90-minute boat ride or 20-minute seaplane flight from Vancouver.
There are about 30 B.C. islands listed for sale on Private Islands Online, ranging from $105,000 US, a relative bargain, for Sweet Island on Stuart Lake in northern B.C. to the luxurious island retreat of James Island, off Sidney, listed for $75 million.
chchan@theprovince.com
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