Flooding and Armageddon spell property investment opportunity?

photo credit: TorleyInvesting in a home on a desert island which is floating serenely in the middle of a deep blue sea is a lot of people’s idea of the perfect property dream. But architect Vincent Callebaut’s vision could shake up the whole ‘island-living’ image.

The award-winning Belgian has come up with a solution to beat rising sea levels; don’t build new homes on high ground, build them on the water. D’oh, why didn’t we think of that?! Silly old housing minister Caroline Flint for not suggesting this sooner.

His floating ‘Liliypad Cities’ are giant islands which will hold 50,000 people and be completely self-sufficient. Each island will consist of three cities, accessed by marinas, and three mountains. There will be no cars or roads and a lake in the middle will collect and purify rain water. Power will be generated from renewable energy sources such as solar, thermal, wind energy, hydraulic and a tidal power station. They’ll also be covered in plants, housed in suspended gardens.

Invest in floating property now!

The premise is that the islands, free to float around the world, will shelter ‘climate change refugees’ when some of the world’s cities are submerged in water. It certainly beats a caravan in Hull. And with the possibility of sea levels rising 3ft by the end of the century, it might be worth investing in some floating property now.

Mr Callebaut told the Daily Mail:

“The goal is to create a harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. Some countries spend billions of pounds working on making their beaches and dams bigger and stronger but the Lilypad project is actually a long-term solution to the problem of the water rising.”

As long as there are plans in place to coexist with 50ft tidal waves….(I’m also not sure who’s spent billions making beaches bigger and stronger but hey-ho)

‘No escape’

So when the ice caps melt Armageddon-style and London disappears under the Thames, we can all flee to the cities and start a new life on the island. Forever. With no escape. I don’t know if anyone has seen ‘Lost’, but the first sign of a polar bear and I’m off.

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