When you think of shopping on eBay, the first things that come to mind are probably second-hand clothes, video games, phones, cameras and other household electronics. What doesn’t spring to mind is a Caribbean island.
That is until now, however. Willow Reed, a British pub owner, has listed her island off the coast of Belize on eBay, with a £400,000 (US$499,988) starting bid or the option to "buy it now" for £750,000 (US$937,601).
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If you’re interested, you’d better move quick as bids for the island close Wednesday at 4:35 p.m. EST . So far, Ms. Reed told Mansion Global, she has received a few "silly" offers, but that a lot of people are "watching" it.
The Brit bought the island for £150,000 (US$188,000 at today’s rate) four years ago when she decided to leave the pub she was running in southern England and live "off-grid" for two-and-a-half years after her mother died. The island was named Virginia Caye in her mother’s honor.
Ms. Reed lived alone on the island apart from the many volunteers from around the world who visited for an average of five days and helped her re-fertilize the land by filling wheelbarrows with seaweed in return for free accommodation.
She is now selling the island since returning to England after buying another pub. Of the decision to sell through eBay, she said that she had contacted real estate brokers, but they were taking so long that she decided to try her luck on the online marketplace. If there are no takers this time around, she will re-list it on eBay.
Proving that this isn’t a hoax, Ms. Reed said she has all the deeds and documents to prove she is in fact the owner.
The island itself spans 3.9 acres and is the closest island to the unspoiled village of Hopkins on mainland Belize, which takes about 20 minutes to get to by boat.
It’s in a less developed area than Leonardo DiCaprio’s island off the north coast of Belize, and Ms. Reed believes it’s perfect for nature lovers who can take up fishing, birdwatching and snorkeling
It has two wooden properties—a main house with sleeping accommodation and a small cabin, which is currently up for rent on Airbnb for $70 per night.
"It's halfway between Placencia and Caye Caulker and would lend itself to a great stop-off point for yachts and tourists from Hopkins. It's situated in The Blue Ground range, famous for its wonderful azure sea," Ms. Reed wrote on the listing. "There are beautiful corals around the caye, and dolphin spotting is a daily occurrence."
The neighboring island —Jewel Caye is for sale for $3.2 million, but that one has been developed by its owners and includes two 2,000-square-foot properties.
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"You could develop my island like theirs, but you need serious money to do it," she told Mansion Global.