Fixed vs. floating

Sick of living on solid, typically very expensive land? Then make like a pirate and head for the high (or low) seas.

Fairway Bay, along with The Block NZ winners Alex and Corban Wells, are currently creating 20 floating homes destined for Auckland’s Gulf Harbour. Each ‘floating apartment’ will consist of a 35sqm cube and residents can then add all types of different materials to that cube, says Fairway Bays development consultant Michael Webb-Speight. The final cost of each home will not be known until the first one is up and floating in May, but already there’s plenty of interest.

And if that’s still too permanent, the feverish Auckland property market has also made liveaboard berths at city marinas like Westhaven an increasingly popular and much cheaper option.