BUILD SMART
Building a home here is one of the most rewarding decisions our clients make — and one of the most considered. The Bahamas offers something rare: private, world-class residential living within reach of the United States, with no income tax, no capital gains tax, and a real estate market that continues to attract discerning buyers from around the world.
Q & A
But building here is not the same as building anywhere else. The islands have their own regulations, logistics, and realities — and understanding them before you start saves time, money, and frustration.
How much will it cost?
Cost is the first question — and the honest answer is that it depends. Location, specification, and site conditions all affect the final number significantly. Family Island projects carry additional costs. Materials, equipment, and labour all need to move by sea, and remote sites require more logistical planning and contingency. A build in Exuma or Eleuthera will cost more per square foot than the same home in Nassau — but for many clients, that is precisely the point. The most reliable way to understand what your project will cost is a site visit and an honest scoping conversation before any number is committed to paper. That is how we start every project at Osprey.
Can Foreigners Buy Land and Build in The Bahamas?
Yes. Non-Bahamians can purchase property in The Bahamas, with registration requirements under the International Persons Landholding Act depending on the property’s size and intended use. Many of Osprey’s residential clients are international buyers building second homes — we guide them through the practical side of the process and coordinate with their attorneys and agents at every step.
Buying an Existing Home vs. Building From Scratch
Both paths have merit, and the right answer depends on your timeline, your priorities, and what is available in the market when you are looking.
Buying an existing home is faster. If the right property exists and the price is right, you can move through purchase, renovation if needed, and occupancy in a fraction of the time a custom build takes. The limitation is that existing inventory — especially in the most desirable communities — is scarce, and properties that come to market rarely offer the specification level of a home built to your own brief.
What It Really Takes to Build on the Family Islands?
Exuma, Eleuthera, Abaco, the Berry Islands — building in the Family Islands is a different proposition from building in Nassau, and it requires a builder who has done it before.
Materials arrive by barge. Crews need to be housed and fed on-site or ferried daily. Equipment mobilisation takes planning weeks in advance. Supply chains that function smoothly in Nassau require much more active management when the nearest hardware supplier is an hour away by boat.
None of this is insurmountable — in fact, done well, an Out Island build produces some of the most extraordinary private homes in the Caribbean. But it requires a team with genuine remote-site experience, not one that is learning on your project.
Osprey has been building across the Bahamian archipelago since 1980. Out Island construction is not a speciality we added — it is part of what we have always done.
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