- 2 days ago
Famous for the pristine beaches and world-class diving of Roatán....
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00:00Today's house hunters are hoping to buy a piece of paradise.
00:03They're Rick as a police constable and Fiona as an aromatherapist.
00:08In our 20s we travelled a lot, we worked our way across Central America.
00:12Then we got into London life, got into a bit of a rut, so it's definitely time for a change.
00:18They're hedging their bets by selling just one of three London properties they own.
00:23The other two they plan to continue renting out, to help provide regular income once they move abroad.
00:41The Bay Islands are one of the few places in the Caribbean where you can still buy affordable property right
00:47on the beachfront.
00:48Houses here sell for a fifth of what you'd expect to pay in Barbados or the Cayman Islands.
00:55The great explorer Christopher Columbus set foot on the islands in 1502 and in the 1600s Caribbean pirates used them
01:05as a base for raiding Spanish ships.
01:08More recently, the largest island, Roatan, was the setting for the reality TV show, Temptation Island.
01:16It's now the busiest.
01:18Tourists arrived en masse in the 90s, encouraging developers to buy up huge areas of land and divide them up
01:25into lots for new homes.
01:28Prices have more than doubled, and brand new three-bedroom apartments now cost around £200,000.
01:36The other islands are less developed, and a traditional house on stilts can be bought for as little as £34
01:42,000.
01:44Sean and Fiona's dream is to live in a traditional three-bedroom home beside the sea.
01:52So are you looking to just live the Caribbean lifestyle out here, or do you want to get a job?
01:56I'd love to afford to retire, but we can't, so we would have to do something to earn some money
02:01while we're here.
02:02I'd love to run something in water sports, but to be honest, we're both pretty flexible,
02:05and if we can see a niche or an opening in the local market that we think we can make
02:09a living from, then we'd be happy to give it a go.
02:12Fantastic. Well, you'll both be pleased to know that getting residency here is very straightforward.
02:15You'd just pay £700. In terms of a business, you do need to apply to set up a limited company,
02:22but the government here are keen to back tourism, so you shouldn't have any problems there either.
02:26So you'd be up and running and ready to go.
02:33Sean and Fiona are both certified divers,
02:36and the most obvious business plan would be to set up a dive school on the island of Utila.
02:41Utila. Its coral is second only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef,
02:46and has the greatest variety of marine life in the Caribbean.
02:57Utila is the least developed Bay Island.
03:00It attracts budget travellers and maintains the most authentic Bay Island culture.
03:14There aren't many cars on the island, because there's only three roads.
03:17Most people use pushbikes, motorbikes, they do branch out into quadbikes, or golf buggies.
03:23I think I'd be the all-terrain vehicle sort of man.
03:26I think going to mind a bit of golf cart.
03:27Yeah, yeah. Golf buggies are a bit girly, isn't it?
03:29It only got 24-hour electricity four months ago.
03:34Other parts of the island only have electricity four hours a day,
03:37so that's another thing you should take into consideration.
03:41As the infrastructure improves,
03:43agents predict price rises of 25% over the next year.
03:49But for the moment, they're still the Bay Island's cheapest homes.
03:53And the couple's 120-gram budget
03:55will buy them one of the most impressive homes on the island.
04:00It's a traditional three-bedroom house right on the beachfront.
04:04It's made of local timber and built on stilts to catch the breeze and views.
04:15Steve is the estate agent and has lived on the island for over 10 years.
04:21Come on in, let's take a look.
04:24Entering the home, we have a nice little screen reading area
04:28that enters into the main living area and kitchen.
04:31This is lovely.
04:32This is a classic Caribbean-style home,
04:34but it has many unique and modern features.
04:37It's beautiful.
04:38The ceiling itself has actually got a recessed area
04:42where the hot air can actually rise above and flow on the outside.
04:47And that keeps the home cool during the summer.
04:49Yeah, because you can feel a breeze.
04:51So obviously there's no wind out here, just the netting, isn't there?
04:53So you can feel the breeze coming through.
04:55And a dive site just off shore by the looks of it, yeah?
04:58Exactly.
05:01This cast-away lifestyle is great for a holiday.
05:04I'm a little bit concerned that Sean and Fiona
05:07are going to find it too remote for a permanent home.
05:11And this is the master bedroom.
05:13Ooh, this is spacious.
05:15It's unusual having a bed at the angle it is, isn't it?
05:17Well, the reason they do that is so that
05:19as soon as they pop their eyes open in the morning,
05:20they're looking at the beautiful sea view.
05:22Sit up in bed.
05:23You wouldn't want to lie down, would you?
05:25Yeah, beautiful ensuite bathroom.
05:28And a bath and a shower.
05:30It's got to be a bit of a luxury in the Caribbean, hasn't it?
05:31Yeah, you'll have one of three bathtubs on the island, actually.
05:35Really?
05:36Yeah.
05:36So we can charge for it, then?
05:37Oh, yeah.
05:37Oh, I like the sound of that.
05:38Money maker.
05:46Fiona could run an aromatherapy practice from this home,
05:49and its outside gazebo would make a great therapy room.
05:58Let me show you this little secret beach here.
06:00This is a perfect spot for skinny dipping and all kinds of other fun.
06:05I don't have to worry about any tan lines, then.
06:08I'll come here.
06:08No, and very few people on the island, even though this little spot exists.
06:15If you buy something here now, I think in ten years' time you're going to be laughing.
06:19Yeah.
06:19So it's a good investment.
06:20Because there's obviously money coming into the island.
06:22The other thing is we wouldn't really be able to run a business from here.
06:26Especially for your side of it on the massage and stuff.
06:28Well, it depends what business would you say to run, though.
06:30We might have to rethink that.
06:32To live on the beach would cost £106,000, leaving them money spare to invest in a business.
06:40Well, you can't get much closer to the ocean than that.
06:42I mean, you can even hear the sound of the sea when you're in the house, in the bedroom, and
06:45you just thought, wow.
06:46Just what we asked for.
06:47What did you think about the house?
06:50It's a tough one, I've got to say, because obviously coming from London, we're used to everything being on our
06:54doorstep.
06:55And part of the reason we want to leave London is to get away from the commercialism.
06:58But then you've got to be realistic at the end of the day.
07:00Now, there are certain things we do enjoy, and perhaps we would miss a little bit more.
07:05Obviously, utilised is hardly developed at the moment.
07:07Yeah.
07:08It's a bit of a concern.
07:09Is there a population out there that can utilise the business?
07:13We do, especially from Fiona's point of view.
07:15It's on the massage side of it.
07:21Sean and Fiona will get more creature comforts a 10-minute flight away on Roatan.
07:26It's the most populated island and has roads, 24-hour electricity, and an international airport.
07:35Business-wise, it could be a smart move.
07:38Tourists here have more money than the backpackers on Utila, and American cruise ships stock daily.
07:46But all that comes at a price.
07:48Properties are twice as expensive, and I fear its new resorts put the island in danger of losing its charm.
07:57This is Anthony's Key Resort.
07:59It gets 6,000 visitors every year.
08:01You're only a 10-minute drive away by car from the West End.
08:04It's just got lots of shops and bars and restaurants.
08:06The property that you're going to be seeing is very close to here.
08:10It's just up on that hill.
08:13Living high up has its advantages.
08:16Sandflies are everywhere in the Bay Islands, and they leave nasty red, itchy spots.
08:20The breeze at the top keeps them away.
08:24It's also very tranquil, and if Fiona can persuade people to hike up the hill, one of this modern villa's
08:30three bedrooms would make an excellent therapy room.
08:34Plus, they could build a second apartment above this one and rent it out.
08:39Julio is the local agent.
08:44That's just amazing, isn't it?
08:45Look at that.
08:46Look at the colours of that water.
08:50It's beautiful.
08:51Anthony's Key Billsky where they've got the dolphins.
08:54Oh, right.
08:54So we get to see the dolphin show from here?
08:55Free, man.
08:56We'll charge.
08:57Oh, I like the idea of that.
08:58We might sell some tickets up here, get the binoculars out.
09:00That'll be good.
09:02That's the living room.
09:04Oh, wow.
09:05This is spacious, isn't it?
09:08Now, this is an substantial room.
09:11Wow.
09:12This is lovely.
09:13Look at the doors over there.
09:14They're beautiful carved.
09:16That is so ornate, isn't it?
09:17They're carved in Copang on the mainland.
09:20Right.
09:21Yes.
09:21Those are the Mayans then, isn't it?
09:23Yes, that's the image of the ancient Mayans.
09:25Terracotta floor, what we love.
09:28We don't have this in England because it's too cold.
09:30But it's our favourite type of flooring.
09:33This is the kitchen.
09:35Modest but functional.
09:37Everything's in it, isn't it?
09:39These drawers make up from mahogany.
09:41Right.
09:41Very nice.
09:43This is the master bedroom.
09:45Wow.
09:46You don't get many of these, do you?
09:48Is that sort of traditional in the Caribbean?
09:50I know.
09:50That's not usual.
09:51That's American taste.
09:53All right.
09:54Here we are more up to the second level.
09:57It's a complex design for a second floor.
10:00All right.
10:01So you can put more rooms up here.
10:03That'll make the house a lot bigger.
10:04That's amazing.
10:05You don't think the view can get any better than it was on the balcony.
10:07But look at this now.
10:08It's all the way across.
10:10Panoramic.
10:10Unbelievable.
10:16It's a more modernised island, isn't it?
10:18Hmm.
10:18Tarmac roads, more facilities.
10:21You know, so it's going to be less of a culture shock to make the transformation over here.
10:27To live on the hillside would cost £126,000.
10:33Initially I didn't like it as much as the one at Utila because it was a quaint wooden house.
10:38But this one probably is maybe more practical, more substantial.
10:42We like the idea that you can build above and then you could probably make a self-contained flat that
10:46you could rent out.
10:47To build an extra floor would cost you £22,000.
10:50That would push you way over your budget, though.
10:53Do you think you could come up with the extra funds?
10:55I think we could sit down and reassess the sums.
10:59It's tempting because if you're getting an immediate return on your money, it enables you to go a little bit
11:03higher.
11:05Later, Sean and Fiona check out the rest of Roatan.
11:08They see a brand new villa on a hill and a waterside house in a fishing village.
11:13But have they found their dream home?
11:16Nothing I don't like about it, to be honest.
11:18And there's plenty I love a lot about it.
11:28Sean and Fiona plan to move from London to the Caribbean Bay Islands and set up a business for tourists.
11:36First, they need a home.
11:38They love the island of Utila, but worried about earning money there.
11:43Pretty undeveloped at the moment. There's not a lot of facilities here in town.
11:47They preferred Roatan and surprised themselves by liking a modern villa just over their £120,000 budget.
11:55This one probably is maybe more practical, more substantial.
12:00As it's the most developed, Roatan is by far the safest option, and we continue our search on the south
12:07coast, where the coastline is dotted with tiny fishing villages.
12:13As there are no white, sandy beaches, property developers have so far ignored this coastline, and prices are half what
12:21they are on the west of the island.
12:23Most residents have descended from English pirates that took refuge here six generations ago.
12:30Everyone looks out for each other, and crime rates are the lowest on the island.
12:36It's very rare to find a house on the market here. People tend to live in them their entire lives,
12:42but we have managed to find you a property.
12:44And if you look straight ahead, it's that one there. It's the White House.
12:49This house has bags of island charm, and a business attached to it.
12:54The current owner runs boat tours from its private dock through the mangrove wetlands.
12:59The house has three bedrooms, and is accessible by boat or road.
13:06Gina will show them around.
13:08This is where the owner makes the mangrove tours.
13:11So who's the clientele for the tours?
13:14From the cruise ship.
13:15How often do the cruise ships come in?
13:17Well, there's like six ships coming in on the week.
13:21The wife also has a business over across the street, but it's not included.
13:27As Fiona is a qualified aromatherapist, she could convert the wife's shop into a therapy room.
13:33But it would add an extra £28,000 to the price of the house.
13:40Welcome.
13:41As you can see, this is a very unusual house.
13:43You can see by the shape of the arch.
13:45It's different from the island houses.
13:48It's just a little bit drab.
13:51It is.
13:52I think the colours are quite nice.
13:54It's very muted.
13:55The whole ambience of the room, it's very tranquil.
13:58Now, don't tell me you like this decor.
14:02Maybe not those pink blinds, but it's easy enough to change things in here, wouldn't it?
14:07Yeah.
14:10This is a very typical island-style kitchen.
14:14As you can see by the wood and the windows.
14:18It's very dark and dated though, really, isn't it?
14:21You can look at the tiling, the tiles are worn and everything like that as well.
14:25I think it would need a total refurb, really.
14:28This is the master bedroom.
14:30Oh, it's a big-sized room.
14:33Definitely in need of a makeover though, I think.
14:35It's very dark, isn't it?
14:36You've got dark paint, dark wood all over the place.
14:39Reminds me of a, I don't know, it could be a hotel room in Kenya.
14:44Oh, it smells a bit damp in here, doesn't it?
14:47It does, doesn't it?
14:50This is the main feature of the house.
14:53Well, you don't get much closer to the water than that, do you?
14:57The only thing I've noticed, although it's such a serene setting,
15:01it's a little bit of a busy road out there with all the speedboats and everything going by all the
15:04time, isn't it?
15:05Yes, it is, but that is normal because that's the only way to get around here in the island.
15:11It's just like being at home almost, having a road right outside our house.
15:15Except the sun's shining here, which is different.
15:20Sean and Fiona say they're adventurous, but I wonder just how adventurous.
15:24Would they be prepared to be the only foreigners in what is a very Caribbean community?
15:31The big downside for me is the way it is.
15:35This area, you know, it's just a bit run down round here.
15:40Not many other expats.
15:42I just don't really think I'd feel that comfortable here.
15:46You've got the option of the mangrove tours, but to be honest, I don't really fancy.
15:50I don't really fancy that as my job and my income earner.
15:55The home and mangrove tour business is on the market for £106,000.
16:01I didn't fancy doing the mangrove tours.
16:03Fiona didn't fancy doing the shop, so neither really appeals to us, to be honest.
16:07What about changing the shop into a massage room or a beauty therapy room?
16:12I mean, that's a possibility, but I really don't think people would travel to that area.
16:16The east of the island isn't as developed as the west, but that is about to change.
16:21A huge American hotel chain has bought hundreds of acres of land there, and they're going to turn it into
16:26a luxurious resort.
16:27So potentially, it's a very good investment, but you've got to have the foresight to see that the east will
16:33one day be like the west.
16:35Does that make a change in minds at all?
16:37Yeah, it's not enough to swing it, I'm afraid, no.
16:42If they're going to be happy anywhere, it will be back in the west of the island, surrounded by expats.
16:48It's where the majority of tourists stay, so there's plenty of potential customers for whatever business the couple decide on.
16:57Because it is so popular with expats, it's this part of the island that's seen the property prices increase the
17:03most.
17:03In some cases, as much as 200% in the last two years.
17:08We should have come here two years ago, shouldn't we?
17:17Developers are gradually building around the west coast of the island, where the sand gives way to Ironshore, which is
17:23fossilised coral.
17:27It's an area still under construction, and the trend is to buy off plan.
17:33How would you fancy the idea of having a house built from scratch?
17:36I wouldn't mind it, actually, to be honest, because at least then you get the chance of some input, don't
17:39you?
17:40Do you think you'd have the patience to wait for it to be built, though?
17:43For the perfect house, I think it's worth waiting for.
17:49Sean and Fiona could buy a three-bedroom, three-storey home like this show house and have it customised to
17:55suit them.
17:56It's a great layout, with a veranda off nearly every room.
18:01Designed for the security conscious, there's plans for the resort to have a 24-hour watchman and a communal garden
18:08with a pool.
18:09The agent Maxine moved to the island from London six months ago.
18:15OK, if we'd like to come into the house, on the left is the kitchen.
18:21This is more like it, isn't it?
18:22Yeah.
18:23This is the modern style that we would want, definitely.
18:26Yeah, this is the best kitchen I think we've seen so far.
18:29As you can see from the dining living area, it's very open plan.
18:33This is beautiful, isn't it?
18:34I mean, this is just what you look for, isn't it, in a Caribbean-style home.
18:36It's so light, so airy.
18:38This is certainly a lot more modern, isn't it, than anything else we've seen, and it's sort of almost a
18:43standard we're used to, isn't it?
18:46When I saw this, I went and bought one myself, actually.
18:49Oh, really?
18:50So we could be neighbours then.
18:51We could be.
18:53Can we go out on the deck?
18:54OK, of course we can.
18:57This is beautiful, isn't it?
18:58It's funny, before we came out here, we were sort of dead set on, right by the sea, ocean front.
19:04Now, the hillside view is by far our favourite.
19:08I'd like to show you the first floor.
19:10And this area here is designated as a study area.
19:14All right.
19:18This house is innovatively designed, and the architect has made the ocean views a central feature.
19:27I'd be tempted to ask for exactly the same layout, but with rather less wood.
19:42This is one of the bedrooms.
19:44All right, well, I think so's it.
19:46You might struggle to get into that, won't you?
19:49Definitely the best part.
19:50You're in private Paris.
19:52Unbelievable.
19:53Wake up to that every morning.
19:55And you look and look down onto the other lower level deck.
19:58Oh, right, OK.
19:59Right.
20:01Spy on everybody having dinner.
20:03The house is superb.
20:05I cannot argue with the house.
20:07Nothing I don't like about it, to be honest.
20:09There's plenty I love.
20:10I'm not allowed.
20:13A similar home bought off plan would cost around £120,000.
20:19I loved it.
20:20Yeah, it was just by far the best in what we've seen.
20:23I loved the location as well.
20:24There's other houses around about, but they're not built on top of you as well.
20:27Did you like it, Sean?
20:28The only thing drawback again is the Iron Shore.
20:31No direct access into the water.
20:33That would be a way.
20:34Yeah, but to be perfectly honest with you, for your budget, you are not going to get
20:38a house on a sandy beach here.
20:39I mean, there are plots of land on sandy beaches in Rootan that are selling for £120,000.
20:44That's before you even build on it.
20:47One word of advice I am going to give you if you're thinking of buying off plan is be patient.
20:53Everybody here works to care of me in time.
20:56Make sure you get a penalty clause written into the contract, so if they do run over,
20:59you're going to be compensated.
21:00And if I were you, I'd try and get over here to oversee the work.
21:03And the only problem is, when you look at the actual lots that are still available
21:07on the development, all the best lots have gone.
21:11And you're left with the lesser lots from which the view is completely different.
21:15Yeah, I just, I don't think, I don't think we'll indulge in it, to be honest,
21:18because the best lots have gone.
21:19So what are you going to do now then?
21:20We haven't managed to find you your house.
21:22Well, we love that area, so we're going to go out with the other, with the agents
21:26and have a look and see what other plots are available.
21:28And maybe hopefully be able to build the same sort of house, but just on a different plot.
21:32Yes, we're going to go around with the agents, have a look at what's available
21:35on the whole island, and then try and make a decision from there.
21:43Sean and Fiona found a new plot they liked in the same area,
21:46and offered £35,000 for it before they left the island.
21:51They plan to build their own villa, but not till the Bay Islands become more commercial.
21:55Till then, they're going to go back to the island.
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