For less than a price of a teardown in Vancouver’s West Side, you can own a private island in B.C.’s Saanich Peninsula.
Nestled in the Gulf Islands, Sheep Island is a short boat ride from the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal in Victoria, although there is no public transit connection to reach the seven-acre forested gem.
In Pictures: Take a scenic tour of Sheep Island
The $1.8-million property contains a four-level, 1,200-square-foot timber-frame home, and a small one-bedroom guest cottage. Both are “functional and charismatic, but need a little TLC,” listing agent Shelley McKay told CTV Vancouver.
“It’s rustic,” she said, laughing.
The true beauty of the island is what surrounds those wood-sided structures: old growth forest, walking trails, expansive gardens and an apple orchard with more than a dozen fruit trees and berry bushes.
There are also ponds and 120-feet of waterfront dock space, perfect for mooring your boat.
The shoreline conceals another hidden feature: A salt water swimming pool bordered with natural stones that fills with water at high tide.
“You are literally in the ocean as you sit in your pool,” said realtor Ed Handia.
Much like higher-end private Gulf Islands, there hasn’t been a ton of interest yet in the listing, McKay said, adding that things normally pick up in the spring as the weather warms.
She says physically getting potential buyers to view Sheep Island in person is no easy feat – they have to charter a boat or water taxi to get there.
“When you’re buying a private island it takes planes, trains and automobiles to get there. But it’s pretty cool. It’s worth the effort,” she says.
