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Personally I think a one-way ticket to Mars might be the most appropriate for these people.
Where your boss will be come the revolution: 'Boltholes with airstrips' in New Zealand that are being bought by world's super-rich who want a hideout in case of 'civil uprising'
- The super-rich snapping up luxurious properties in New Zealand - but many don't plan to move there anytime soon
- Instead, they are holding onto the homes as possible 'boltholes', should the west go into meltdown in the future
- Global leaders at Davos hinted they would want an escape route if the poor rose up against the growing super-rich
- New Zealand is rated the third safest country in the world, according to the 2013 Global Peace Index
- The buyers will also get to enjoy some of the world's best scenery, a great quality of life and a favourable tax system
Threatened: The super-rich are fear their comfortable lifestyles in the west could be destroyed by terrorism or civil unrest, so have started buying up 'boltholes' in New Zealand, like this award-winning five bedroom house, just a five minute drive from Queenstown
30
January, 2015
As
world events threaten the comfortable lifestyles of the West's
super-rich they have begun buying up fabulous 'bolt hole' properties
in the far-away safe haven of New Zealand.
The
world's elite are snapping up properties in the tiny country, which
they see as a shelter from the threat of terrorism, civil unrest and
instabilities in the financial markets.
Interest
in pricey land and homes in the North and South Islands has soared in
recent years following terrorist strikes and civil disobedience in
North America, the UK and Europe.
Safe:
The country is considered the third safest on the planet, so is an
attractive proposition for those scared by the prospect of unrest
elsewhere. This five-bedroom home, a 40-minute drive from the city of
Whangeri, has electric shutters so it's easy to secure
Bonus:
Many of the plots come with huge amounts of land set in the stunning
New Zealand landscape. This 6,505-hectare farm is nestled along the
breathtaking shore of Lake Hawea. The house on this farm can be seen
above, at the bottom of the mountain's slope
Financial
experts attending the recent World Economic Forum in Davos this month
revealed many wealthy hedge fund managers have already started
planning escapes for themselves and their clients should life in the
northern hemisphere descend into chaos.
Robert
Johnson, president of the Institute of New Economic Thinking,
said: 'I know hedge fund managers all over the world who are
buying airstrips and farms in places like New Zealand because they
think they need a getaway.'
Pointing
out that the gap between the rich and the poor was increasing even in
wealthy countries, Mr Johnson added: 'People need to know there are
possibilities for their children - that they will have the same
opportunity as anyone else.'
Mr
Johnson was backed up by Stewart Wallis, executive director of the
New Economic Foundation.
Mr
Wallis told CNBC Africa at the Davos gathering that a New Zealand
bolthole was 'a way to get off', adding: 'if they (the wealthy) can
get off onto another planet, some of them would. I think the rich are
worried and they should be worried.'
He
pointed out that the 80 richest people in the world had more wealth
than the bottom three-point-five billion: 'Very soon we'll get a
situation where that one per cent, one percent of the richest people,
have more wealth than everybody else (combined), the 99 per cent,' he
said.
Suggesting
that there was a risk the poor would rise up against the rich, he
said: 'What's happened now mean we are going to see all sorts of
social problems. It is a breeding ground - not just for terrorism.'
Airstrips:
Properties like this five-bed home, close to the world renowned Franz
Jospeh Glacier, are especially attractive to international buyers
because they come with their own airstrip
Convenient:
Your own personal airstrip means you can fly in, or out, with the
minimum of fuss - and all for just $NZ850,000, about £410,000
Grand
plans: This property on Lake Hawea, wouldn't match a hedge funder's
expectations - but there is plenty of scope for redevelopment when
money is no object
Agriculture:
Many of the best properties are working farms. The Lake Hawea
property comes with a sheep and cattle farm sitting at the mouth of a
river, and includes several huts and a five-bed lake-front homestead
New
Zealand, which is about the size of the UK, but has a population of
just 4.4million, offers them all the modern luxuries they have come
to expect - but miles from any country which may implode into chaos.
The
country is 11,658 miles away from the UK, while its closest neighbour
is Fiji - 1,612 miles away, more than double the distance between
Lands End and John O'Groats.
Homes
at the top end of the market come with tennis courts, swimming pools
and media rooms - and some even boast their own personal jetties
where a family can moor their boat.
But
the icing on the cake for those looking to make a quick escape comes
in the form of private helipads or, better, your own airstrip.
Such
a property is currently on sale at the foot of New Zealand's Alps for
a modest $NZ850,000 - about £410,000 - and just 6km south of the
world-famous Franz Josef Glacier.
Many
of the properties look ripe for redevelopment allowing the buyer to
build their dream mansion - and, with prices significantly lower than
in London or New York, there will definitely be money left over for
that extra wing or safe room.
And
once there, the New Zealand lifestyle - which has been attracting
Brits to its shores for years - is said to be one of the best in the
world, with a favourable tax regime as an added bonus.
Solitude:
This entire island - once a holiday resort - is up for sale, complete
with three sandy beaches and '62 units', so there is plenty of choice
on where to stay
Space:
Pakatoa Island, in the Hauraki Gulf Islands, has its own golf course,
squash court and staff quarters - but exactly how much it will set
you back is not known
Increases:Terry
Spice, director of Luxury Real Estate, said they see increases in
international inquiries to our portfolio of luxury properties
throughout the country when a global crisis, civil or global conflict
and economy weaknesses are discussed
Already,
several billionaires have bought themselves homes in New Zealand.
Russian
industrial magnate Alexander Abramov, who lives in Moscow, has
transformed a farm in Helena Bay, two-and-a-half hours north of
Auckland, sparing no expense to build five homes on the and.
The
entire project - which included a warren of underground passages, to
be used by staff, and its own power station in case of cuts - is
thought to have cost £24million, according the New
Zealand Herald.
But
he isn't planning on living there full time. Instead, two of the
homes will be used as a luxury resort, with visitors about to travel
to it by helicopter.
American
billionaire William Foley is one of several who have snapped up
vineyards, buying Te Kairanga, in Martinborough, in 2011.
Paypal
co-founder Peter Thiel also has property in the country, as does Tony
Malkin, whose family's property portfolio includes the Empire State
Building.
Wine: American
billionaire William Foley is one of several who have snapped up
vineyards like this one, which is on sale for £4,932,695. The
ocean-front property includes a four-bedroom house, its own beach and
forest - as well as red deer, sheep, cattle and Boer Goat
Water:
This peninsula, just half-an-hour from Auckland, has been on sale
since January 2014, and comes with a turn-of-the-century three
bedroom house - although there are plenty of plots available should
the new owner want to build something a little grander
Island
living: This plantation-style house looks across the bay to Auckland
from the island of Waiheke, and boasts a 'boutique' winery, four
bedrooms, a home theatre and a private art gallery
New
Zealand real estate agents - who no doubt benefit from changes in the
world's stability - dealing with wealthy, jittery, overseas buyers
say the turmoil in other countries is a sharp contrast to the
peaceful lifestyle that the country has to offer.
The
2013 Global Peace Index, which compares 158 countries for the risk of
personal violence, rates New Zealand as the world's third safest
country after Iceland and Denmark.
I
think the rich are worried and they should be worried…
Stewart
Wallis, executive director of the New Economic Foundation
'More
and more high net worth individuals want a "safe haven" or
"legacy asset" they can count on should things go wrong in
their country of residence.'
Mr
Spice, from Dulwich, revealed he had recently sold a 2.9 acre plot of
land to an overseas buyer for $NZ3million, about £1.5million.
However,
the land was just the starting pointing: the purchaser is now
planning a multi-million dollar retreat on the property, which has
stunning views of a lake and surrounding mountains, creating a
private paradise, which Mr Spice says would be difficult to out-match
by anywhere else in the world.
Matt
Finnegan, of Sotheby's Reality in New Zealand, which handles high
value properties, told MailOnline: 'It might be that the people who
don't particularly want to migrate here still want to have somewhere
to run to in times of trouble.'
'We
do get comments about personal safety from clients in countries like
the US, but there are also expat Britons living in Asia who have
expressed concerns about what is happening around them.
Retreat:
This NZ$2,995,000 property, on a farm accessed by a bridge built
with old railway sleepers, has 'all the aspects needed to build the
ultimate alpine retreat' - yet it is just 10km from Queenstown
Large:
The lucky person who buys this house will get a master suite which
takes up the entire top floor of one wing, with views over the lakes,
as well as formal and informal living rooms and space for three car
Haven:
Sothebys Matt Finnegan told MailOnline his clients might not be
planning to move permanently to New Zealand, but 'still want to have
somewhere to run to in times of trouble'. This bathroom's views are
not the only thing to recommend this home - it also has an olive
grove
Luxuries:
Many of the properties on sale at the top end of the market come with
extras like swimming pools. This particular property also comes with
a barn, an equestrian arena, tennis court, jetty and boat ramp - for
NZ$10,000,000, or £5million
'Yes,
there is definitely a degree of paranoia when trouble erupts and they
start looking for somewhere that is safe and stable.'
Mr
Finnegan, whose properties include a ranch selling in the
$NZ15million to $NZ20million bracket - about £7.2million to
£9.6million - at Lake Hawea in Central Otago on the South Island,
said overseas buyers sometimes preferred to leave their property in
the hands of a farm manager or a caretaker until such time that they
need it.
The
views on offer are a bonus to the security, real estate agents agree
- but only the super-rich, the likes of whom were associated with
Davos, could afford to sink their money into the high-end properties
of New Zealand.
Buying
property in New Zealand is subjected to a few rules and buyers do not
have to be a residents.
Helicopters:
This home, set in 330 acres of land and complete with its own
helipad, fishing ranch, cinema and 22 bedrooms across four different
houses - not to mention the swimming pool complex (picture above)
Sailing:
The waterfront properties on sale all seem to come with one very
important addition: their own jetties. This particular property,
about 13km from the town of Kerikeri, has permission to build a new
house as, the estate agent admits, the person who buys it will
primarily be after the land and location
Climate:
New Zealand's climate has something for everyone - from hot summers
on the beaches and in the swimming pools, to snow in the mountains
during the winter
Wide
open spaces: New Zealand is about the size of the UK, but has a
population of just 4.4million - so it means there is plenty of land
to go around
However
if the property is purchased for more than $NZ10 million, or when it
comes with more than 12 acres of land or consists of coastal land
which is larger than 2,000 sq. m., buyers have to apply to the
Overseas Investment Office for approval.
This
includes checks to establish if the purchaser is a fit and proper
person, the money is clean and traceable and the buyer can provide a
benefit to the country, such as providing work for locals.
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