Island for sale - $29mil includes established homes, manor, tax haven and even a jail

[LynneSin]

http://www.thisisguernsey.com/2008/05/17/herm-for-sale/



Herm for saleBy Nick Mann



Picture by Brian Green.
HERM’S lease is for sale in a potential multi-million-pound deal. The Wood and Heyworth families have held it since 1949, during which time the island has moved from near dereliction to a thriving tourist haven.

Adrian and Pennie Heyworth have run the island for 28 years, but now for family and private reasons want to move on. ‘It’s a long time doing what we’ve done. Our children have their own careers, they are successful in what they are doing, and we just think it’s probably better to give up while we’re young and successful and there’s time to do something else,’ said Mr Heyworth, 56.

Their financial investment in Herm has been considerable. ‘The improvements to the island run into many millions of pounds. We’re selling to recover as much of that as possible, but we doubt we will receive that amount,’ he said.

Facilities on the island now include self-catering cottages, shops, restaurants, a campsite, staff quarters and housing for 150 people. The White House Hotel, which had been deemed uninhabitable in 1949, and the Mermaid Tavern have also been extensively renovated and extended.

Herm has 50 permanent residents, 30 of whom work for the island. The rest are children or family members.