Making Cayman Greener

You may have seen some snazzy little succulents flying across your news feed last week and wondered what it was all about. Besides the fact that every home should feature the most on-trend plant of the year (shop Vigoro or Every Blooming Thing for all things succulents), we wanted to share a little more about sustainable property and why we care; we’re hoping you do too. On Wednesday 5th April, Property Cayman hosted a Sustainability Wine Mixer (a slightly different take on the Catalina version). Our event was deliberately hosted at our greenest current listing, Bimini Sun, to educate our clients on sustainable living in the Cayman Islands. Bimini Sun was built over 8 years ago by Judy and Jim Knapp and its ageless design and green technology is a testament to their vision of building a safe and sustainable home for the future. Guided home tours with Team Property Cayman and one on one discussions with Jim Knapp of Endless Energy allowed our guests to delve into the current sustainable options available to new builds and existing builds today in Cayman.  "This was a new experience for both of us," mentioned Jim.  "Most of the guests had never seen an off-grid home before and were amazed that it operated just like a normal house but without electricity bills". Sustainability in Cayman Smart investment in property is no longer limited to the location, size or design of a property – the “green” rating of a building is now just as important to consider. In the past, sustainable building has been cost prohibitive and somewhat untested in its results. However, with recent advances in “green” technology and improved consumer awareness, the sustainable home market has made significant and exciting progress. Purchasers are now seeking sustainably built properties with higher standards of energy efficiencies, which as an investment, poses significant financial savings and long-term market appeal. Although environmental solutions have existed for many years, the sustainable options of today are much more adaptable, functional and cost-effective than in years previous; providing a much wider and more accessible market for sustainable products and services. “At Property Cayman we are excited to be involved in creating a greener, more sustainable Cayman, one home at a time” ~ Mike Joseph of Property Cayman. 11 Sustainable Options For Your Home “Sustainable” is a broad term used to describe the way in which individuals and society reduce their use of natural resources in an effort to conserve the environment. Something that should be on the agenda for all of us living in paradise here. There are many ways to support sustainable living in your home and here are 11 methods that you may wish to consider in your home:

• LEED building design (pre-construction);
• Solar panels (pre or post-construction);
• Ground source AC pumps (pre or post-construction);
• Rain water harvesting (pre or post-construction);
• LED lighting (pre or post-construction);
• Building insulation (pre-construction);
• High efficiency AC systems (pre or post-construction);
• Eco-friendly building materials (pre-construction);
• Energy efficient windows (double glazing, tinting and gas filled) (pre or post-construction);
• Eco smart and saline pool systems (pre or post-construction); or
• Energy-star certified appliances (pre or post-construction);

Embracing sustainable initiatives and a new, growing demand of energy-conscious buyers is a new trend in the Cayman real estate market and the main focus is on three areas: Economic benefits – long-term savings; Environmental impacts – conservation and responsibly sourced living to reduce waste and environmental damage; Health and Lifestyle – focus on environmental effects by changing lifestyle, product choices and reducing exposure to chemicals and contaminants. Property Cayman is proud to represent several LEED certified homes as well as a high number of sustainably built homes across our islands. The idea of sustainable living in a well-designed home has become a highly sought after product. On an island with an abundance of natural energy contrasted with soaring utility costs, sustainable homes can offer attractive solutions - from neutral energy bills to functioning “off the grid” entirely. It’s no wonder that this environmental progress has become an extremely attractive option to our Cayman clients. The Sustainably Built Road Ahead Our goal at Property Cayman is to continue to support our clients in the best way we know how: sourcing suitable homes that allow our customers to lead a healthy, happy and prosperous life. We believe that sustainable living is required to achieve this. We are passionate about representing buyers and sellers with the same ethos and care for sustainable living and we continue to support all efforts to preserve our beautiful Islands, one sustainable home at a time. If you have an interest in making your home more sustainable or would like to talk through all things "property", please don't hesitate to contact us. We would love to hear from you.