Barbados is well known for its sophisticated real estate offering and there are a variety of options for discerning investors.
Properties in Barbados include beachfront apartments and condominiums, holiday homes, luxury villas, residential lifestyle communities and family homes. The following are some of the more popular types of properties.
Luxury Villas
Luxury villas have become a popular option for discerning vacationers and property investors. The added privacy, dedicated staff, and bespoke service make this type of property an excellent choice for a vacation or an investment property.
Barbados is also known for its beautiful historic plantation homes with their grand colonial architecture, tall casement windows with wooden shutters and mahogany floors. Plantation homes sit on large estates and are usually in need of some refurbishment, which can be both an enjoyable and worthwhile project, given their authentic beauty and value.
Many of these Plantation Homes have sold off the agricultural acreage and maintain just a few acres for gardens and in some cases horse stables and paddocks.
There are several luxury villas sprinkled around the island, particularly on the exclusive platinum coast of Barbados. These consist of stand-alone beachfront properties, villas in contained resort communities
The Sandy Lane Estate: Sandy Lane Estate is the most prestigious address on the island with magnificent villas set in lush one and two-acre gardens, built around the Sandy Lane Golf Course. Sandy Lane Estate has private beach facilities for residents and guests, located next to The Sandy Lane Hotel. This community is not gated and is more of a neighbourhood with some shared amenities.
Residential Lifestyle Communities
Lifestyle communities bring together exclusive living with recreation, dining and wellness. This type of community has become quite trendy in Barbados. The following are examples of some of the more fashionable lifestyle communities in Barbados.
Apes Hill: This is the only Golf, Polo and Tennis Community of Barbados and boasts prime land with panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea, prime land, located some 1,000 feet above sea level. Clients can choose from luxurious villas or town houses already built or build their own. Amenities include a clubhouse with restaurant, gym and pools.
Sugar Hill Estate: The resort community features communal pools, championship tennis courts, a clubhouse, a health club and a restaurant on site. Many of the properties also have their own private pools. Sir Cliff Richard is an owner here.
Royal Westmoreland: This former sugar cane plantation is a luxury sporting and leisure destination consisting of apartments and luxury villas, a Robert Trent Jones junior designed 18-hole championship golf course, tennis and gym facilities, a spa and beach club, swimming pools and an impressive Colonial-style clubhouse.
Westmoreland Hills: Located in St. James, Westmoreland Hills is one of the newer luxury developments in Barbados and features 2-4-bedroom eco-friendly homes with private amenities such as a fitness centre, a children's play area, pools and a cafe. What is particularly striking about this gated community are the panoramic views that are available from each home
Marina Communities
Also catering to the yachting community are Port Ferdinand and Port St Charles.
Port Ferdinand: Port Ferdinand is located near Speightstown in St. Peter and consists of 83 luxury residences and 120 yacht berths in a 16-acre marina community. This is a resort-style community with 5- star service and a variety of amenities and luxuries such as an upscale restaurant, a spa, fitness centre, children's centre and pools.
Beachfront Condominiums
This category of real estate became extremely popular at the turn of the century; properties located on the West or Platinum Coast command the highest prices.
Jerry Steinbok, a well know developer on the island, has built luxury developments such as Beacon Hill Condominiums and Summerland Condominium Villas. He is awaiting additional permissions to construct a condominium hotel investment development, known as Summerland Hotel, as he has decided to add two more floors to the original concept. All these developments are on the West Coast of Barbados, across from the Beach.
"My first choice is across the road from the beach on the West Coast because the beach land is in short supply and always very expensive and the cost of building is the same no matter where you are building in Barbados. The long-term rents for the same product on the West Coast are at least fifty percent higher and the same for short term Tourist Rentals," says Mr. Steinbok.
Some popular beachfront properties include:
One Sandy Lane: One Sandy Lane is the most exclusive beachfront development in Barbados. With eight spacious villas, a tranquil beach, an infinity pool, manicured gardens and a dedicated service team for each villa with a 24-hour concierge, it is not surprising that Rihanna frequently vacations here.
St. Peter's Bay: Located on the beachfront in St. Peter, St. Peter's Bay is a luxury 5-Star condominium development, consisting of two to five-bedroom residences and vacation rentals with resort-style services and amenities, such as a spa, restaurant, hair salon, fitness centre and pools.
The Crane: The Crane is known as "the private residential community within a private resort" and sits on the Southeast coast of Barbados. These consist of two to three-bedroom private residences between 2,000 and 4,000 square feet, on a beautiful resort property and sitting on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The Crane also has time-share accommodation.
Some more upscale South coast apartments include Margate Gardens, Palm Beach and Sapphire Beach
