Coldwell Banker Islands Blog

You’ve decided to sell. Look at your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer and be honest with yourself: what needs to be cleaned, painted, repaired and tossed out or given away? If you were buying this home what would you want to see? Your goal is to make your home look good, maximize space and attract as many buyers as possible.

The first and most important thing you want to do in preparing your house for market is to make sure it has good curb appeal. Curb appeal is simply the first impression a prospective buyer gets when driving by the house.

It has been said that up to 80% of the decision to buy a house is made before even entering the home, so it doesn’t matter how great your house looks inside if buyers won’t go through the front door. You could have the greatest floor plan, and the greatest decor, but if your house is unsightly from the outside, a lot of people will never ring the bell.

So by all means start on the outside of the house and use common sense. Keep the lawn mowed and watered, trim the shrubs, make sure there isn’t any peeling paint, and keep weeds out of the flower beds. Put some color in the landscaping and plant some flowers.

Make sure there aren’t any unsightly vehicles in the driveway. If you have an older car that looks its age, park it down the road or at a friend’s house. Keep the yard clean and pristine. When you can look at the outside of your house from the street and it looks better than it ever has, it is time to move to the inside of the house.

Here’s a checklist:
- Water, mow, weed, & edge lawn regularly.
- Trim hedges,prune trees, and tend to flowerbeds regularly.
- Mend cracks in walkways, driveway, walls, foundation, and patios.
- Patch up or repaint doors and windows with peeling paint.
- Clean and align gutters.
- Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
- Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
- Keep your garage door closed.
- Move old cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.
- Be sure your front door area has a warm, “Welcome” feeling.

Inside you want to make things look as open and bright as possible. Keep all the blinds and curtains open and the windows clean. If a room feels or looks cluttered, move some of your extra furniture into a storage space or a friend’s house. Remember, you’ll be moving anyway, so start sorting and have that garage sale.

Keep the inside of your house smelling good. Any senses you can stimulate when someone enters your house will help create emotional attachment to the home. Don’t overdo the aroma therapy, but make the house smell pleasant - no stale cooking odors, no pet odors, no diapers.

Keep everything as clean as you can. Give the impression that you take care of your property and care about your home. You want your house to look, feel and smell it’s best. Make those repairs you’ve put off so doors work well and the plumbing doesn’t drip. Purchase a couple of ceiling fans or small room fans to keep it cooler for showings.

Are you ready for Buyers:
- Repaint walls or replace carpets with neutral colors.
- Fix all cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic.
- Fix all cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
- Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork.
- Repair leaky faucets and showerheads.
- Clean and remove clutter to make your house appear bigger and brighter.
- Rent storage to keep the garage and attic clear.
- Remove excess or very large furniture.
- Hire a professional cleaning service once every few weeks while the house is on the market.
- Remove as many items from kitchen counters, closets, and attics to make your house seem more spacious.
- Make your kitchen and bathroom look as bright and fresh as possible.
- Use your nicer guest towels in the bathrooms.
- Hang up fresh curtains.
- Install new cabinet knobs.
- Make sure kitchen and bathroom are clean and odor free.
- Replace burned out light bulbs.
- Open drapes and blinds.
- Don’t let pets wander around the house during showings.
- Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink or laundry in the washer or dryer.
- Make the beds.
- Put on soothing music.

Remember that people make emotional decisions. We justify with logic what we decide with emotions. Keep your mind open, try for a warm and bright interior, have great curb appeal, and you will be on the right path to preparing your house for the market. Our Coldwell Banker agents can answer any questions you have about getting ready for a sale, and advise you on the best timing for the highest price.

You’ve decided to sell. Look at your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer and be honest with yourself: what needs to be cleaned, painted, repaired and tossed out or given away? If you were buying this home what would you want to see? Your goal is to make your home look good, maximize space and attract as many buyers as possible.

The first and most important thing you want to do in preparing your house for market is to make sure it has good curb appeal. Curb appeal is simply the first impression a prospective buyer gets when driving by the house.

It has been said that up to 80% of the decision to buy a house is made before even entering the home, so it doesn’t matter how great your house looks inside if buyers won’t go through the front door. You could have the greatest floor plan, and the greatest decor, but if your house is unsightly from the outside, a lot of people will never ring the bell.

So by all means start on the outside of the house and use common sense. Keep the lawn mowed and watered, trim the shrubs, make sure there isn’t any peeling paint, and keep weeds out of the flower beds. Put some color in the landscaping and plant some flowers.

Make sure there aren’t any unsightly vehicles in the driveway. If you have an older car that looks its age, park it down the road or at a friend’s house. Keep the yard clean and pristine. When you can look at the outside of your house from the street and it looks better than it ever has, it is time to move to the inside of the house.

Here’s a checklist:
- Water, mow, weed, & edge lawn regularly.
- Trim hedges,prune trees, and tend to flowerbeds regularly.
- Mend cracks in walkways, driveway, walls, foundation, and patios.
- Patch up or repaint doors and windows with peeling paint.
- Clean and align gutters.
- Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
- Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
- Keep your garage door closed.
- Move old cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.
- Be sure your front door area has a warm, “Welcome” feeling.

Inside you want to make things look as open and bright as possible. Keep all the blinds and curtains open and the windows clean. If a room feels or looks cluttered, move some of your extra furniture into a storage space or a friend’s house. Remember, you’ll be moving anyway, so start sorting and have that garage sale.

Keep the inside of your house smelling good. Any senses you can stimulate when someone enters your house will help create emotional attachment to the home. Don’t overdo the aroma therapy, but make the house smell pleasant - no stale cooking odors, no pet odors, no diapers.

Keep everything as clean as you can. Give the impression that you take care of your property and care about your home. You want your house to look, feel and smell it’s best. Make those repairs you’ve put off so doors work well and the plumbing doesn’t drip. Purchase a couple of ceiling fans or small room fans to keep it cooler for showings.

Are you ready for Buyers:
- Repaint walls or replace carpets with neutral colors.
- Fix all cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic.
- Fix all cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
- Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork.
- Repair leaky faucets and showerheads.
- Clean and remove clutter to make your house appear bigger and brighter.
- Rent storage to keep the garage and attic clear.
- Remove excess or very large furniture.
- Hire a professional cleaning service once every few weeks while the house is on the market.
- Remove as many items from kitchen counters, closets, and attics to make your house seem more spacious.
- Make your kitchen and bathroom look as bright and fresh as possible.
- Use your nicer guest towels in the bathrooms.
- Hang up fresh curtains.
- Install new cabinet knobs.
- Make sure kitchen and bathroom are clean and odor free.
- Replace burned out light bulbs.
- Open drapes and blinds.
- Don’t let pets wander around the house during showings.
- Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink or laundry in the washer or dryer.
- Make the beds.
- Put on soothing music.

Remember that people make emotional decisions. We justify with logic what we decide with emotions. Keep your mind open, try for a warm and bright interior, have great curb appeal, and you will be on the right path to preparing your house for the market. Our Coldwell Banker agents can answer any questions you have about getting ready for a sale, and advise you on the best timing for the highest price.

Lobster aquaculture should be a very real part of the future of Turks and Caicos, after an advisory council gave the Darden research project the thumbs up, granting a 5-year extension on the project permit.

The research project was conceived in October 2007 when the former Cabinet approved plans to partner with the Darden Restaurant Group, which agreed to invest up to $10M in the research. To date Darden has spent 18 months in the TCI conducting preliminary research in South Caicos.

Scientists from Darden will spend the next five years determining if the TCI is a suitable environment for cultivating Caribbean Spiny Lobster. The permit allows the group to set up a small aquaculture nursery and attempt to grow out lobster following extensive research on “physical parameters.”

And if they deem the islands’ waters an appropriate habitat, the restaurant group may set up the country’s first lobster farm, and sell the popular seafood in its restaurants. The project has the potential to replenish TCI’s lobster stocks and provide vital employment for local fishermen.

The Darden Restaurant Group owns some of America’s top eateries including Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Longhorn Steakhouse.

Admittedly and unashamedly a little on the funky side, this 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, ½ acre property situated on Windy Hill overlooking Spanish Town is oozing with personality and will appeal to nature/art lovers. Not every tropical cottage can boast its very own Balinese Rice Barn in the garden with views of the Caribbean Sea, perfect for afternoon siestas! The large Great Room features cathedral ceilings, bar, ceiling fans, dining area; furnished with teak and bamboo furniture from Bali; handicrafts, antiques, and rugs from around the world. Asking $650,000 for Tree Tops.

Visit our Coldwell Banker Listing Page for complete details and photos of this remarkable home.

After you’ve taken step one to decide to sell your Bahamas home, step two is usually setting your asking price, striving for a balance between generating offers and receiving top dollar.

Your Bahamas Real Estate Association agent should perform a competitive market analysis to produce an estimate of your home’s “fair market value,” or that price that educated buyers will pay based on listings and sales of homes similar to yours. The agent will provide the information and suggest a price.

In a hot Bahamas real estate market, you have the advantage, but would still want to avoid overpricing, which is always unproductive. However, in a neutral or buyers market, you’ll have to be particularly cautious in your approach to setting a price.

In soft real estate markets, price reductions become more common, as well as fewer offers and longer listing periods. You have to first establish your priority: is it more important for you to sell quickly or to get the most money possible? Like it or not, one option simply must be more critical than the other.

Have a third party, like your Bahamas Real Estate Association-licensed agent, help you see your home as a commodity, with positive and negative selling points. Price your home objectively and competitively, be prepared to negotiate to reach an agreement with buyers, and exercise patience as you prepare your move.

In the area Babijn, Paradera, you will find this 941 m2 (10128 sq ft) property land surrounded by beautiful nature with great views to the hilltop of Seroe Crystal. The land is located only 7 minutes away from Oranjestad and the Beach. This is a great chance to build your dream home for great outdoor living for you and your family. Askng $99,000.

Visit our Coldwell Banker Listing page for details and photos.

After you’ve taken step one to decide to sell your Bahamas home, step two is usually setting your asking price, striving for a balance between generating offers and receiving top dollar.

Your Bahamas Real Estate Association agent should perform a competitive market analysis to produce an estimate of your home’s “fair market value,” or that price that educated buyers will pay based on listings and sales of homes similar to yours. The agent will provide the information and suggest a price.

In a hot Bahamas real estate market, you have the advantage, but would still want to avoid overpricing, which is always unproductive. However, in a neutral or buyers market, you’ll have to be particularly cautious in your approach to setting a price.

In soft real estate markets, price reductions become more common, as well as fewer offers and longer listing periods. You have to first establish your priority: is it more important for you to sell quickly or to get the most money possible? Like it or not, one option simply must be more critical than the other.

Have a third party, like your Bahamas Real Estate Association-licensed agent, help you see your home as a commodity, with positive and negative selling points. Price your home objectively and competitively, be prepared to negotiate to reach an agreement with buyers, and exercise patience as you prepare your move.

The best built house in Cayman. New home, very private, has everything, built to last forever. 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 7250 sf Canal front home, 0.8 acres, 12′ above sea lovel. Asking $5,950,000.

Patrick’s Island is in Red Cay on Grand Cayman. There are residential properties, lots with partially completed buildings, and vacant lots, as well as condos.

Visit our Coldwell Banker Listing page for details.

A frail flamingo was captured last year with signs of a deadly avian disease. Avian botulism – which causes paralysis and often death in birds – could potentially wipe out the islands’ much loved water-based wildlife.

Herons, pelicans, flamingos and terns are among the species at risk from the fatal illness. The public is asked to look out for sick birds and notify the DECR of any sightings of seemingly sick birds or abnormal behaviour from water birds.

Scientists have confirmed that the TCI’s wetlands could easily support the growth of the avian botulism, but apart from the solitary flamingo they have not yet found any clear signs of sickness among local birds.
Despite the apparent absence of the disease the DECR continues to be cautious, and members are currently undertaking a number of precautions to decrease the likelihood of outbreaks.

Among these safety measures are the prompt removal of dead animals from wetlands, reduction of decaying matter in the areas and the prevention of sharp water draw downs that could kill fish and aquatic invertebrates.

All these actions could help to decrease the build-up of toxin-laden maggots and rapid growth of botulism spores.

In the Turks and Caicos Islands, there are many water birds that are at risk from the disease including the Greater Flamingo, Brown Pelican, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, West Indian Whistling-Duck, Clapper Rail, Sora, Least Grebes and the Moorhen.

To contact the DECR call 941-5122 (Providenciales), 946-2801 (Grand Turk) or 946-3709 (South Caicos).

The St Kitts-Nevis government has committed to move forward several projects aimed at increasing employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the continued transformation of the economy. “We expect these projects will dramatically advance the process of transforming our economy from the pre-2005 sugar-based economy to a new and vibrant service-oriented economy with a vast array of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for our people,” said St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas.

He said his government will move to advance the La Vallee Greens Project and the Kittitian Hill Projects as they are critical and are situated in the midst of rural communities that were significantly affected by the demise of the sugar industry.

He said his administration looks forward to the completion of the Ocean Edge Resort, the Silver Reef condominiums, the Sunrise Rise Villas, the Marriott Vacation Club and the continued and accelerated implementation of the Christophe Harbour Project Development and the Park Hyatt Project.

Douglas also expects the construction of at least three five-star hotels on the Southeast Peninsula and an increase of cruise ship passenger arrivals to over 1 million through construction of a new pier at Port Zante and the renewal of the town of Basseterre during his government’s new five-year term.

Read more at CaribbeanNetNews.