First-of-its-kind floating home development underway

7 November 2015

Many Kiwis dream of living near the water but at Gulf Harbour developers of Fairway Bay are taking this to the extreme. Living on top of the water, in a floating home.

Fairway Bay in collaboration with Alex and Corban from The Block NZ, is setting out to create 20 beautifully finished, bespoke floating dwellings named The Boat Sheds moored in the Fairway Bay marina.

Just like a regular liveaboard cruising boat these dwellings are buoyant platforms that are docked, plugged in to the electrical grid, water and sewage services.

Development consultant Michael Webb-Speight says it is a truly a unique offering and an opportunity Aucklanders are unlikely to soon see again.

“We see the target buyers as those who are looking for a weekend retreat, perhaps brining the trailer boat up from the city by sea with other members of the family travelling by car.

“In my family I thoroughly enjoy the challenges that the Rangitoto Channel can offer, however my wife prefers the peace and quiet of a safe anchorage,” says Webb-Speight.

“It it is early days for the project. The Boat Sheds is still the subject of further design work and we have committed to the creation of the first one, which we hope to launch in the first half of next year. We are thinking of a layout of around 35m2 on the ground floor with a mezzanine and bedroom loft above,” he says.

Potential floating homeowners will have to wait to find out what these unique dwellings will cost.

“We haven’t yet set the price. That’s really something which will be determined by the cost structure and specifications, and by the market given that this is a unique product with no match anywhere else in NZ,” Webb-Speight says.

There will be no title registered with LINZ; the structure involves ownership of a square shaped boat that comes with a long-term licence agreement for use of the berth.

The concept of a small floating apartment is not new, but it’s certainly special and an incredible way to live, says Corban Walls, The Block NZ winner and owner of the homewares store ‘Alex & Corban Home’.

“We are hard at work to create the first version, BoatShedONE. The floating part will be a concrete pontoon to provide a stable base with long-term durability, the same technology used for marina pontoons.

“The interiors will be designed and manufactured through the Alex and Corban brand, in consultation with buyers so they are fully customisable,” notes Walls.

“Auckland’s population is densifying with land and property becoming scarcer. We need to find ways to better use the water that surrounds the city and we believe this is part of the solution, Webb-Speight says.

According to a BBC *report, some development experts say on-the-water communities could be a more sustainable, affordable and in many cases, safer option than building on land.

For more information visit www.fairwaybay.co.nz and click on the link to The Boat Sheds.

ENDS