A beautiful island to call your own, for the price of a one-bedroom flat
A budding Robinson Crusoe is needed to take over this gorgeous island, which lies just off the coast from Portmeirion.

The stunning Ynys Giftan Island is one of just 43 unbridged tidal islands in Britain, situated in the Dwyrd Estuary and accessible across the sand at low tide.
Its 17.74 acre expanse includes beautiful hills, sandy beaches and delightful woodland, as well as a stunningly romantic stone-built farmhouse.
And it's now available on a 20-year lease, with the owners looking for just £500 a month – a price which wouldn't get you a one-bedroom flat in most parts of Britain.
There is, as you might have guessed, a catch: this is an 'improving' lease, which is to say that the future tenant will take over the island on condition that they renovate the derelict farmhouse.
And that won't be easy: there is no electricity on the island, and while there is a water supply pipe and a septic tank, nobody is quite sure whether either is fit for purpose any more.
For some, those issues might be a deal-breaker. For others, the challenge is sure to be intoxicating.
And looking on the bright side, there is at least a decent mobile phone signal on the island in case you need to get hold of your building suppliers.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
"This is a blank canvas offering," says Thomas Hanmer of Strutt & Parker, who are brokering the deal for an estate owner who is keen to see the place flourish and "enhance the public’s affection for the Island and North Wales."
Several proposals have apparently been received already for ideas with what might be done, and the owner is happy to be flexible both on usage and price – the island could certainly be a tourist destination, given its location within the Snowdownia National Park, but it sounds as if nothing is being ruled out at this point.
That magnanimity is particularly fitting: the very name 'Ynys Giftan' means 'Anne's Gift', referring back to the moment when Queen Anne gave the island to Lord Harlech's ancestors in the early 18th century. And while this 20-year lease isn't being given away, it's lovely to see it thrown open at a price which means a courageous individual can take it on just as easily as a development company.
That makes it one of the most exciting opportunities we've seen in a while. Let's hope that somebody comes along who can make the most of it – if you think it might be you, Strutt & Parker's website has more details.
Credit: Garmony House, Isle of Mull
A magnificent Georgian house on the Isle of Mull for the price of a Guildford semi
This house for sale on the Isle of Mull is a vision of Georgian cosiness in an idyllic natural setting.
Credit: Savills
Lord Attenborough's Scottish bolthole up for sale
Credit: Knight Frank
A house by the waterside where magnificent views meet all mod cons
The houses we feature at Country Life are often hundreds of years old. This one is a relative baby – but
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
-
The Country Life guide to Somerset: What to do, where to stay and how to eat
Somerset is rich in natural beauty and history, but it is its wealth of small-scale food and drink producers, farmers and makers that really set it apart from the competition. Find out how to make the most of it all with our indispensable guide.
By Natalie Millar-Partridge Published
-
How to make a gloomy city garden into a haven of colour and nature
Tiffany Daneff discovers how to transform a typically dark London back garden into a light-filled green haven that is always in use. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
By Tiffany Daneff Published
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in Cornwall
At Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
By James Fisher Published
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North Downs
A contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
By James Fisher Published
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record high
Plus, how first-time buyers prop up the mortgage market, why you need to move north if you want to live by yourself, and house-price growth slows
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riot
Unlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
By James Fisher Published
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in Norfolk
Willow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's history
With 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
By James Fisher Published
-
17 delightful homes for sale, as seen in Country Life
Our round-up of some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a wonderful Cotswolds home and a happily affordable cottage in the West Country.
By Toby Keel Published
-
'This is the most money you'll spend on anything ever': The things that really matter when buying your first home in London
It’s easy to dream of what the ideal first-home in London might be, but when the cost of living in the capital is this expensive, being near a Gail's isn't as important as you think it is.
By James Fisher Published