Do you crave the seclusion of your own private island, but hate being tied down in one place? If so, an Austrian firm has developed the solution to your troubles: a man-made floating "island," complete with two small diesel engines for whenever you fancy a change of scenery. The oval-shaped "Orsos Island" has been designed to combine the mobility of a yacht with the comfort of a house. It offers six bedrooms, spread over three floors and 1,000 square meters, and nearly four tennis courts -- a worthy luxury living space.
The price tag for all of this is certainly more than you'd expect to pay for a mainland mansion but, at $6.5 million, it falls well below the average cost of the gigayachts and Caribbean islands currently favored by the fabulously wealthy.
8. Real Madrid Island (UAE)In 2012, Spanish soccer super-team Real Madrid announced plans to construct a $1 billion luxury resort in the United Arab Emirates – and to ensure a truly unique location, the sports company plans to construct an archipelago of artificial islands upon which it will be located. The resort, which has also been described as a theme park for the soccer obsessed, will include two high-rise hotels, luxury villas, a 10,000-seat ocean-side football stadium, a marina, and a hi-tech museum devoted to the history of the Team. Real Madrid have announced that the 430,000 square meter project was designed by J+H BOIFFILS and will be constructed in partnership with the UAE government. They hope to open by 2015.