Ultimate work-from-home locations: Off-grid in Hawaii, Australia, Switzerland or Bahamas – sustainable hideaways for sale in stunning settings

Ever since the pandemic began, property agents have reported unprecedented demand for properties which offer self-sufficiency, and this doesn't mean roughing it with the barest of necessities. From coastal idyll to rocky mountain high, never has off-grid living in self-contained hideaways in places like Hawaii, islands off Australia and similarly secluded spots, seemed so appealing.

Take the sumptuous Hawaiian estate at 4275 Hana Highway, Maui. Set on 15.8 tropical hectares (39 acres), and completed in 2015, the five-bedroom, six-bathroom, centrally air-conditioned home with pool was built as a completely off-grid holiday home for a retired executive couple.

Power is generated by 96 photovoltaic panels on the barn roof, and rain water (filtered for consumption) is captured in two 30,000-gallon storage tanks. Property agent Mino McLean, of Island Sotheby's International Realty, agrees that “it's hard to imagine living in a home like this and not paying a water or electric bill”.

For a property of this scale it was “a bit of a challenge to go off-grid, but now the self-sustainability is a huge selling point and source of pride for the owners,” McLean said.

“Maui continues to have very low Covid-19 numbers, which is creating more demand for our limited inventory,” she said. “With many people now working from home, Maui is proving even more desirable. The luxury nature of this home and its self-sustainability make it desirable for eco-conscious executives who can work from anywhere.” It's on the market for US$6.95m.

The island is powered by solar and wind-generated energy, and has rainwater tanks, as well as fruit trees, and vegetable and herb gardens. Named as Australasia's most sustainable hotel in the 2018 World Boutique Hotel Awards, Pumpkin Island was the first beyond carbon-neutral island in Australia, offsetting 150 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions.