North East estate agents Pattinsons might have started out selling houses in Heaton - but it’s now spreading its wings to sell tropical islands almost 8,000 miles away.
Pattinson Estate Agents’ auction business has put a Chilean island up for auction in northern Patagonia, with flora and fauna fit for a BBC wildlife documentary – and with bids starting at a cool £4.9m.
The private island – Isla Los Conejos, which translates as island of rabbits – will give its new owners 23.6 acres of secluded space and two furnished cabins, set in the Pumalin National Park which has been described as one of the world’s last remaining unspoilt landscapes.
Read more: Homes in grounds of historic Durham Castle go on the market with prices starting at £200k
Based at the foot of the national park’s majestic mountains, glaciers and dense rain forests, the South American island also includes its own virgin native forest, which is home to several rare bird species. The island is going under the hammer through the Wallsend firm’s sister brand Pattinson Auction and its partner agent in Marbella, Spain - part of a new overseas venture for the company that was first started on Tyneside by Keith Pattinson in 1977.
And the firm has been whipping up interest in its exotic listing by shining a light on its fresh, turquoise waters, which make up the Yelcho Lake, famed for its fly fishing.
The company said the island lies within the town of Chaiten, which neighbours the tourist towns of Futaleufu and Palena, with the National Park protecting the region’s flora and fauna, including a native forest with 3,000-year-old endangered trees as well as rare species of animal. The nearby Futaleufu River is also one of the world’s premier white water rafting rivers.
The island’s two furnished cabins – one two-bedroomed and the other with one bedroom – both have BBQ areas for al fresco dining. Water is accessed through mechanical extraction, and electricity is provided through a gas generator. The cabins also have cable service and satellite internet, and a solid iron pier is currently under construction.
Pattinson Auction’s partner-agents in Marbella Spain said they are thrilled with the listing. Agent Karina Blanes, from Consilium Real Estate, said: “The opportunity to add Isla Conejos in Patagonia Chile to our catalogue exceeded our expectations, due to the quality and the product.
"Although at Consilium Real Estate we are used to finding a wide range of properties, architectural wonders and luxury projects, the island is a striking product that is different from the rest, and that makes it unique in the world. We are sure that the new and exclusive owner of Isla Conejos will fall in love with the island, a real jewel in Lago Yelcho, one of the last unspoilt places in the world.”
READ NEXT
- Huge demand for family homes at new Cussins development in Wark
- County Durham houses most viewed on Zoopla - including a home for sale for the price of a car
- Inside the 'dream homes' being built on new housing estate in Newcastle with prices starting from £224,995
- See inside County Durham hotel which has welcomed first guests in two years following refurbishment
- Landlord told to pay compensation after ignoring pleas from mam and autistic son to fix leak in Durham home
