What is an extension or loft worth in Barbados?
Space in Christ Church is asking about Bds$4,938 per m² (17 listings there publish a floor area). Build costs below are published per-m² ranges. Neither is a quote, and value added is never the whole story — the first extension on a small house adds more than the third on a large one.
| Work | Size assumed | Likely build cost | Value that space would ask | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demolish and rebuild | 140 m² | Bds$392,000 | Bds$691,320 | +Bds$299,320 |
| Two-storey extension | 45 m² | Bds$99,000 | Bds$222,210 | +Bds$123,210 |
| Single-storey extension | 25 m² | Bds$60,000 | Bds$123,450 | +Bds$63,450 |
| Loft conversion converted space, valued at 85% of the local rate |
22 m² | Bds$38,500 | Bds$92,341 | +Bds$53,841 |
| Annexe or outbuilding converted space, valued at 75% of the local rate |
30 m² | Bds$63,000 | Bds$111,105 | +Bds$48,105 |
| Garage conversion converted space, valued at 70% of the local rate |
16 m² | Bds$20,000 | Bds$55,306 | +Bds$35,306 |
What this is doing, exactly
- Value is the local asking rate per m² multiplied by the space added — discounted for conversions, where a converted garage or loft does not fetch what new build does.
- Cost is a published per-m² range for that kind of work. It excludes professional fees, planning fees, VAT or GST, and anything the drawings show that the description does not.
- Granted is this island's own record for that kind of application. It is not a prediction about yours.
- A positive difference is not a profit. It ignores the cost of money, the months of disruption, and the fact that a buyer pays for a house, not a spreadsheet.