A man has purchased an apartment on a cruise ship so he can travel the globe and work remotely.
Austin Wells will soon trade in his city home for life at sea, claiming it’s not only more affordable, but it’s a way for him to see the world.
The 28-year-old, from San Diego, has bought a 12-year lease for a flat on board the MV Narrative – a mega cruise ship made up of 500 private rooms and apartments.
Paying $300,000 (£246,465) for a studio, Austin’s 237 square foot room will feature a foldaway bed, pantry, desk and separate shower room.
The ship will also host 20 restaurants and bars, a school, a library, a bank, a cinema and a swimming pool.
Residents living on board the ship will have access to a gym and farmer’s market, as well as medical services, 24-hour room service, and private kitchens.
However, it’s worth pointing out that the ship is still under construction in Croatia and isn’t due to set sail until 2025.
Looking at the financials, Austin will save money too, with a flat in San Diego, California, costing around $2,500 (£1,980) per month in rent – compared to his cruise room setting him back $2,000 (£1,587) per month. A monthly saving of around £500.
The 28-year-old told CBNC: ‘The thing that most excites me is I don’t have to upend my daily routine, in order to go see the world.
‘My working hours will be shifted towards evenings, nights and very early mornings, but that does open up the ability for me to see a city midday to afternoon.
‘This is probably the first time ever that there is even the ability to have a standard job and even consider working and living from a floating apartment complex.’
Austin will join 1,000 other residents on board and hopes to make lots of new friends, as he’ll be ‘travelling the world with them’.
These live-in passengers will also be given the opportunity to rent out apartments – with Austin’s flat capable of fetching around $4,500 (£3,696.97) a month.
The cruise ship flat is part of a growing move towards alternative property purchasing, as housing markets around the world remain volatile.
Gen Z are becoming more creative about the homes they own, living everywhere from campervans to houseboats.
But one TikToker took it one step further by buying a house in what might just be the most dystopian way possible: via Amazon.
Technically, it’s a fold-out flatpack food shelter measuring in at 16.5ft by 20ft, although its online listing touts it as both a prefab ‘villa’ and an industrial warehouse solution.
Either way, it’s far cheaper than a traditional home, with Jeffery Bryant, 23, revealing that it set him back just $26,000 (£20,500).
‘I just bought a house on Amazon,’ the creator said in a now-viral video. ‘I didn’t even think twice about it.’
Explaining his decision to buy, Jeff told the New York Post: ‘I saw this YouTuber unboxing his Amazon home. And I ran to the website to get one, too.’
The micro-property comes with a built-in shower and toilet, a kitchenette, a living area and a bedroom.
Although it needs to be hooked up to electricity and water mains, the steel structure itself can be built in just a few hours with ‘minimal labour for unfolding’, before being decorated to the owner’s specifications.
Only three people have reviewed the product on Amazon, but each of those rated it five stars.
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