It was during the design process of this luxury Fiji residence that the vision for it expanded, says registered architect and current owner, Graham Applin.
“We were loosely designing it as a family house for ourselves, but I got carried away and made it bigger and bigger and then realised it would actually really suit a shared ownership model,” he says.
10 Sovereign Quays on Denarau Island in Nadi, Fiji, is for sale as a complete lifestyle package, which will give five owners 10 weeks of use per year of the freehold, fully-furnished residence (with a private storage area to store personal effects). They’ll also enjoy use of a premium SUV car, a 28ft boat with a private jetty, and a 60hp outboard for direct access to the island during their stay.
The idea is that it’ll run like a private mini-resort, says Applin, who is keeping a share for himself, and that once you’re there it feels like your own. Each share is available for $880,000.
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“We’ll have a local country manager so they’ll be there in case anything goes wrong or if someone needs to run people to the airport or pick people up from the airport,” he says. “You just turn up and the house will be cleaned and if you want it can be serviced and catered.”
Applin’s background in designing luxury hotels around the world heavily inspired the beautiful home’s footprint.
“The original concept was a resort-style house based on some of the traditional architecture I've seen in the Middle East and India, where the houses were built around the courtyard and the courtyard would have a cooling pond as the centrepiece,” he says.
An artist’s impression of the courtyard and cooling pond surrounded by the bedrooms which will be built like separate villas. Photo / Supplied
The 613sqm main house has four bedrooms and five bathrooms, including a huge master suite. Perfectly suited to groups, the bedrooms are almost like separate villas positioned around the courtyard and the views are incredible – incorporating the canal from Denarau Marina to the golf course and the Sleeping Giant mountain beyond.
The living area extends out onto a timber deck and large infinity swimming pool. In addition, there is a separate studio with full bathroom facilities and a small flat that has a mezzanine sleeping area with its own bathroom and storage.
As for divvying up the time slots, Applin explains, “you have a rotation of priority, so the person who gets first choice one year will get last choice the next year and then work their way back up again”.
“To make it a little fairer, the weeks are split into premium weeks and secondary weeks, so everybody would have a chance at getting two premium weeks a year and then they will have their choice of the other eight weeks.
“So, most people will kind of give and take a little bit – people with children at school might be given preference for the school holidays. Nobody really wants to be there more than 10 weeks a year I don’t think, and Fiji is quite a good place because there’s not really a low season, I know they say there is but it’s still really nice.
The residence will take in the views of the canal from Denarau Marina to the golf course and the Sleeping Giant mountain beyond. Photo / Supplied
In this artist’s impression, the five co-owners will have access to a premium SUV car, a 28ft boat with a private jetty, and a 60hp outboard. Photo / Supplied
“It will be run almost like a club, so the boat will get replaced every five years, the car will be replaced every three years and that will all be just factored into a monthly service charge. When you’re sharing it between five it’s not such a big deal and the depreciation isn’t high on cars or boats in Fiji, so the monthly cost won’t be that high,” Applin says.
Lot 10 is situated on the best site in one of the most sought-after precincts on Denarau Island, and is only a 30-minute drive from Nadi International Airport. Denarau itself has its own security and accommodates five 5-star hotels, a championship golf course and club, a prestigious yacht marina and commercial centre.
Bayleys listing agent John Greenwood, who is marketing the property with Sapna Vithal from Bayleys Fiji says: “What can you buy in New Zealand as a bach for that? Next to nothing and 10 weeks is a long period of time, so you can share it with your family and do all sorts of things.
“It’s pretty cool and especially when you’re paying $800 or $900 for a one-bed unit in the Sheraton at the moment.”
