Why buy a houseboat when you can have your own portable island oasis?

Christie’s International Real Estate has just the thing. The company is now offering you the chance to snap up one of its self-sufficient, floating Amillarah Private Islands, Forbes reported this week.

‘Each of these homes is an eco-friendly work of art that can be lived in, allowing consumers to not only create, but enjoy whatever kind of paradise they desire,’ said Christie’s senior vice president Rick Moeser.

Of course, no one knows more about creating artificial land than the Dutch, so naturally Christie’s are teaming up with developer Dutch Docklands on the project.

Co-founded in 2005 by Dutch architect Koen Olthuis – named one of Time’s most influential people – Dutch Docklands will be designing the tailor-made floating islands, the style, size and shape of which are fully customisable.

Also on board is oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau and his organisation, Ocean Futures Society. Famous for rehabilitating and releasing Free Willy star Keiko the killer whale into the wild, they’ll be advising on how the islands homes can also become floating eco-systems to support marine life.

So far, renders look suspiciously like Thunderbirds’ Tracy Island.

You can also choose where your home will be located, and as standard, each island will have a life-span of around 100 years, and come equipped with its own residence, garden, pool and beach.

Dutch Docklands’ chief executive Paul van de Camp said: ‘We are the only company in the world offering floating private islands tailor-made to client specifications, based on our Dutch heritage of hundreds of years of working with the water.’

According to Forbes, Amillarah Private Islands are flying off the shelf. The Maldivian government signed up for 10 islands, while Dubai firm OQYANA is in line for 33 and an unnamed Miami company is eyeing up 30.

It seems city life is passé: ‘The last 10 years were the decade of prime urban property investment; the next 10 years will see a growing appetite for island real estate investment and lifestyle,’ says Yolande Barnes, director, Savills World Research in the brochure. ‘For the world’s wealthy, the pinnacle of achievement is to own what is exclusive and rare, so an island property goes hand-in-hand with a luxury apartment in a prime city.’

Just make sure it floats.