Climate-controlled auto condos for car collectors are selling in Southwest Florida from the low $700,000s to around $2 million, as many residents struggle to afford homes. Sleeping in the vehicle-storage units is not legally allowed.
At Prima Auto Condos in Naples, units span 1,750 to 2,125 square feet and cost up to $1.2 million. The largest can fit up to seven cars; features include 18-foot ceilings, climate control, cameras and alarms. Owners may add kitchens, lounges or lifts, sometimes spending hundreds of thousands more.
Prima sales and marketing manager James Pilkington said many buyers are seasonal residents or collectors with several vehicles in Florida, and that a typical owner has at least three expensive cars. He cited one prospective buyer with more than 20 Porsches. Pilkington also said Prima added fill to qualify for Zone X, where flood coverage is not required, and that the complex is built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.
