Dominica
Antrim Valley Estate
Selling Price: US$2,000,000
A Caribbean style iron gate opens to a 400 ft long stone driveway that leads to this elegant estate custom built by local builders and craftsment to high quality standards for the owners in 2003.
This exquisite home is a secluded and luxurious Caribbean Hideaway nestled between two mountain peaks in the Dominican Rainforest, featuring breathtaking views of the Rainforest and Caribbean Sea. The house is made of solid concrete, with European Rolling Shutters for security and to withstand hurricane winds.
Antrim Valley Estate was designed and built to the highest quality standards by local builders and craftsmen and offers a level of self sufficiency and trouble free living that is nearly impossible to find in the Caribbean.
The main level of the house is fully furnished and includes two Master Suites (one at the north end of the house and the other at the south end), each with a bedroom, sitting area, loft, full bath, terrace and private entrance. One of the Suites also has a kitchenette.
Between the suites is the great room with living and dining areas, kitchen and powder room, plus a guest bedroom with full bath and private entrance.
The lower level of the house is unfurnished and was originally designed as a Hurricane safe area, but could be used as a separate apartment.
It features a private entrance, living room, kitchen, bedroom, full bath, walk-in storage room/pantry, plus wine cellar. It could also be used as a media center, game room or gym.
The main level Great Room, Master Suites and Guest Bedroom all have vaulted ceilings and custom glass doors that open to stone verandas showcasing magnificent views of the Caribbean Sea and Dominican Rainforest.
The stunning home measures 6700 sq ft (approx), including a two car garage and gazebo, and offers all that is needed for comfortable and self sufficient island living.
All furniture, bedding, and kitchen items will remain with the new owner; however the artwork will be kept by the seller.
The upper level kitchen has built-in refrigerator, freezer, & dishwasher, plus a gas stove/oven, & counter top microwave.
The lower level is not furnished, but has a kitchen with refrigerator/freezer, gas stove/oven and counter top microwave.
The lower level cold storage room also has a refrigerator freezer and an additional large freezer. The laundry room has a full size washer and dryer.
The charming 256 sq ft covered gazebo with tiled floor and custom decorative railings is accessible from the south side of the house by an arched bridge and is the perfect answer for lazy afternoons, outdoor dining and entertaining.
The gazebo is wired for electricity and includes a barbeque.
A flight of 310 steps carved out of the natural landscape leads down to a private waterfall and mountain stream with moss lined wading pools.
The exquisite landscaping includes flowers and plants indigenous to Dominica, plus several fruit trees and a vegetable garden.
The staff, who have been with the family for several years, are fully trained and would like to continue on with the new owners, if possible.
The staff includes a wonderful housekeeper, a driver/security guard, and a caretaker/foreman plus two other men who maintain the grounds and do all of the "fix it" things in and around the house and property.
Electrical wiring for the house is 220 volts on the main level and both 110 and 220 volts on the lower level. Electricity is provided by the Dominica power plant, but as a contingency, the property has two external generators (50KV with a 35KV back-up) which run on diesel fuel.
The primary 50KV generator is on the roof of the garage and the secondary 35KV back-up generator is inside a room behind the garage stalls. Two 50 gallon diesel fuel tanks are located at the property entrance.
Water is provided by the Dominica water company, but a 22,000 gallon reserve tank is located on the south side of the property under the Gazebo, along with a 1,000 gallon reserve tank at the north end of the house.
Dominica is mostly rainforest, and at Antrim Valley Estate rain water is collected, stored and passed through a system of filters and UV light to provide a constant supply of clean, fresh water to the house and grounds.
Water is heated by a system of solar coils perched on top of the garage roof, and a thermostat controls the intake valve to maintain a consistent temperature. Air conditioners set by remote controls and ceiling fans are present throughout the entire house.
A complete Satellite television system is included providing all televisions in the home with CNN, FOX News, ABC, NBC, CBS and other major network stations broadcast from the United States, as well as local channels.
Dominica is known as the "Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its stunning, unspoiled natural beauty and wonders, such as the world's second-largest boiling lake. Along with the geothermal wonders comes natural coolants: hundreds of pristine rivers, waterfalls and streams web through the island's lush terrain.
The island features lush mountainous rainforests that are home to many very rare plants, animal, and bird species.
The Caribbean Sea side of the island, the west coast, tends to be a bit arid, but overall a heavy rainfall can be expected inland and on the other coasts. Spectacular sunsets, clear starry night skies, and lush rainbows light the landscape as a daily occurance.
The Sisserou parrot, the island's national bird, is featured on the national flag, and along with the Jaco Parrot, can be seen soaring happily in the tropical rainforests of the island. Dominica's economy is heavily dependent on both tourism and agriculture, and from a personal health perspective, the island offers a healthy lifestyle.
Dominica's natural wonders and rich cultural heritage make it an exceptional ecotourism destination. The island was also the setting for many scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series.
Additionally, Dominica was rated one of the top island destinations (and, joint 1st in the Caribbean) by National Geographic in a recent survey
