What to Check Before Buying a Colonial House in Antigua
A colonial home in Antigua can be 280 years old. Another can be 80. One may have been restored with compatible modern materials, another with concrete that is pushing the old walls outward. From the street, both look the same.
The first critical point is the foundation. The 1773 earthquakes destroyed Antigua. Much of what you see today was rebuilt on new foundations, but there are properties where the original colonial foundations were never reinforced. If a vertical crack runs from the baseboard to the ceiling, it is often a foundation issue, not a cosmetic one.
The walls: three systems dominate in Antigua — adobe (compressed earth), bajareque (timber and clay), and stone masonry. Each carries distinct problems. Adobe breaks down with moisture. Bajareque is colonised by xylophagous insects (termites, woodworm). Colonial stone may have eroded mortar.
Tile roofs need annual inspection during the rainy season. A single displaced tile leaks water that travels along the beam, can rot it, and the cost of replacing one structural beam can exceed $5,000.
The heritage restrictions imposed by CNPAG (Antigua's heritage protection council) are extensive and real. Before buying with renovation in mind, verify what is allowed and what is not — façade, courtyard, heights, materials. A client of mine had to abandon an 80-thousand-dollar project because the façade was untouchable heritage.
The minimum checklist: a clean certificate from the General Property Registry, structural inspection by an independent architect, review of electrical and plumbing systems, verification of prior construction licences, and CNPAG consultation if you plan modifications. That is the floor. Beyond that, it depends on the property.
