Hunker down in Barbados

We have all experienced a very interesting period of our existence over the last few months, where we were all required to take residence in our homes for our own protection. As the airlines canceled flights and borders began to close many visitors made a last-minute attempt to cancel their vacation plans to be safe in their own countries of residence.  However, a few choose to ride out the lockdown period here with us in Barbados!

As a Real Estate Agent, one of my favourite questions is always “Why did you choose Barbados?” I love the answers to this question as it is a reminder and testament to what we have as a country and a people, that so many of us take for granted. During this remote period, I took the opportunity to reach out and chat with many of my clients and one of the conversations that was of particular interest was with Brian. He and his wife decided to hunker down in Barbados in their new investment. I put together a few questions and he gladly agreed to share his thoughts with us.

Why did you decide to invest in Barbados?  Our initial investment was in 2007, it was 2 timeshare apartments at the Crane Hotel which was going to be for private use. We extended this in 2017 to a fulltime home which would give us more time on the island. The investment really was for a winter home in a place we would be comfortable. Generating income was really a secondary goal.

Are you enjoying your investment in Barbados so far? We have been here for 13 years now with plans for more investment so the answer would be a definite yes!

What do you love about Barbados? The climate is excellent and being right on the coast in St. Phillip gives us nonstop cooling breezes. It’s easy to access from Canada and the UK. We find the people here to be nothing but delightful, friendly and engaging. We feel it is a safe island, fingers crossed. We love the Britishness about things. We actually like the religious background, the food is great with some excellent restaurants and finally, lots to do here never short of things to do.

You decided to stay in Barbados during our curfew period. What made you decide to stay? The Barbados government seemed to have handled the issue well. Once the cruise ships were closed down, having limited points of entry into the island gave a great opportunity to shield the country from the problem. It was our impression that this was safer than returning to Canada.

How has your experience been so far? Fantastic, better than we could have imagined.

How have you occupied your time during this curfew period?

1. Working as we have remote access and conferencing 
2. Gardening, painting, and other jobs. Its been that moment when all those "honey-do" jobs get done  
3. Relaxing looking at the ocean with some wine, rum or a local beer which we stocked up on. 

Would you decide to invest in Barbados again? Absolutely 

With answers like these, it really makes being a Real Estate Agent and a Barbadian a complete joy!