THE WORDS “Barbados” and “budget” are rarely found in the same sentence, but a home on the most easterly of Caribbean islands — and one of the most favoured by the rich and famous — is no longer just for the well-heeled. The weakness of the dollar has slashed prices for British buyers, and developers are coming up with schemes to suit most budgets. Could my pauper’s dream of having a bolt hole on the island ever come true? To find out, I went in search of Bajan hideaways for every pocket.

The most popular properties are beachfront houses on the west coast, otherwise known as the Platinum Coast. But they come at platinum prices. The hunt for cheaper property was going to have to start elsewhere. The south coast is more densely populated and is livelier than the sleepy exclusivity of the west coast. According to Dietmar Caspar, of Hamptons, “it is up and coming: the Government has invested in the area of St Lawrence Gap. The beaches are quite nice and you are close to the nightlife. You can get the same apartment on the south coast for 40 per cent less than on the west coast.” Hamptons is selling two-bed villas for $500,000 (£260,000) to $550,000 (£290,000) at South Ocean Villas, a beachfront development of 19 condominiums.

Developments inland on the west of the island can also be more affordable. For example, at Sugar Hill, the David Lloyd tennis development, Knight Frank has an apartment for sale for $300,000. At The Lakes, a development aimed at the over-50s on The Ridge above Speightown, prices in the first phase range from $308,080 for a two-bed apartment to $437,279 for a three-bed villa. When finished it will have a golf course. James Cobb, who runs development, says there are advantages to being away from the coast: “The west coast gets hot, but on The Ridge you have a breeze.” Caspar also advises that buying off-plan can be a canny move. “You can save 20 per cent on the price,” he says.

For pioneers, the east coast is more off the tourist map: development is restricted and it is on the Atlantic, so the sea is a lot choppier, making it popular with surfers but not for swimmers. In the secluded village of Bathsheba, which is popular among locals, Bajan Services is selling two traditional two-bedroom Bajan-style cottages for $500,000 each. But buyers beware: price increases in areas less popular with foreign tourists are likely to be more modest than in property hot spots.

If you do not mind sharing your Bajan bolt hole, Hamptons is selling at Club Pavillion — a fractional ownership scheme where investors get a one-sixth share of a three-bed villa for two months of the year. Prices start at $200,000.

If you are lucky enough to find a bit more cash to bump up your budget, Royal Westmoreland, a golfing development, has a new phase of houses priced between $1.5 million and $1.8 million, but older houses can fetch a lot more: Savills at present has a five-bed house for $3.8 million. Pooka Whap, of AAAltman Real Estate, says: “Most condominiums are on average $1.5 million to $3 million, but you can get some more reasonable ones at The Overlook for $560,000 to $850,000. If you have $1 million to $2 million to spend, try developments such as Sandy Cove, Sugar Bay or Schooner Bay.” AAAltman Real Estate is selling townhouses in the Sugar Bay development near Mullins Beach on the west coast for $1.2 million to $1.5 million, and villas from $1.8 million. Knight Frank has two townhouses, without a sea view, at Schooner Bay for sale for $577,500.

At the top end of the scale, prime beachfront houses on the west coast are only for the very well-off. It is the most expensive area on the island. Paddy Dring, of Knight Frank, says: “At Sandy Lane you can spend one, two, three, four, five million dollars.” At the marina development of Port St Charles, Knight Frank has three-bed properties on the market from $2.95 million. But the sky is the limit: at Sandy Lane, Jane’s Harbour — $37 million of house — is for sale through Hamptons.

Some of the top properties change hands without ever coming on the market. If you want to buy in to some of the island’s history, inland plantation houses with plenty of land occasionally come up for sale. Knight Frank is selling Easy Hall, a fully renovated, seven-bedroom plantation house, for about $10 million. Or, for $15 million, Caribbean Property Services is selling a five-bed property in the parish of St James on the west coast. It comes with two acres, swimming pool, tennis court and 200ft of beach front.

• Contacts: Hamptons, 020-7589 8844, www.hamptons.co.uk; The Lakes, 0800 3890084 www.caribbeanlink.co.uk; Knight Frank, 020-7629 8171, www.knightfrank.com; Bajan Services Ltd, www.bajanservices.com, 001 246 422 2618; Royal Westmoreland, 01524 782503, www.royal-westmoreland.com; Savills, 020-7824 9030, www.savillspropertyoverseas.co.uk; AAAltman Real Estate, 001 246 432 0840, www.aaaltman.com; Caribbean Property Services, 020-7622 6515, www.caribbeanproperty.co.uk

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