But what about a few dozen vergées of sand dunes – complete with German bunker – instead?
That is exactly what is for sale in St Ouen’s Bay, with agent Tommy A’Court, of Maillard’s Estates, describing it as a ‘rare opportunity’ to own a slice of Jersey’s iconic coastline.
But the land won’t come cheap – he expects it to fetch in excess of £200,000.
The land on the bay’s coastal strip between Le Braye and El Tico, is on the market with the estate agency and, although the ‘for sale’ signs only went up recently, it is already attracting a lot of interest. It has been in the ownership of the Simon family, who operate the sand works on the other side of the Five Mile Road, since 1909.
It is split into two plots for sale, the southern part of Mielles du Sud measuring 16 vergées and the northern part, which measures around 11½ vergées and includes a concrete German bunker currently used for storage. The total area is equivalent to about five football pitches.
That bunker is, according to the agent, let out on a five-year lease for £1,200 rent per year, while the whole area is subject to strict planning rules as it is part of the Coastal National Park where there is a presumption against any form of new development. The areas of dunes is also a proposed Site of Special Interest. The two areas are separated by a footpath from the Five Mile Road to the seawall.
Mr A’Court said that during his time in the trade he had never handled such an unusual sale.
‘All the years I have been selling land I can’t recall ever selling sand dunes or a German bunker, it is unique,’ he said.
‘It is in the Coastal National Park so you can’t do a lot with it but it is the prestige of having the ownership of these sand dunes.’
The two plots are for sale by tender but Mr A’Court said he hoped they would achieve in excess of £200,000 in total.
Maillards is also handling the sale of land, currently owned by the States, in another local beauty spot which also falls in the Coastal National Park. This comprises three potato-growing fields – totalling just over 11 vergées – on either side of Pine Walk, at St Catherine, and the rows of landmark pine trees are also included in the sale. The land, which is designated for agricultural use, is expected to fetch between £77,000 and £99,000.
