A mother and son are combining skills to help build climate resilience and efficiency into the design of island properties as well as increasing their value.

Fiona Hatfield, who has 40 years of real estate experience, and Stratton Hatfield, who has expertise in design and sustainability, believe their new company Bedrock can “help make Bermuda stronger”.

The two say combining real estate expertise with sustainable building advisory services can protect Bermuda properties increasingly vulnerable to the social, economic and environmental effects of a changing climate.

Bedrock will work in association with Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty, Ms Hatfield’s employer, to help people to buy and sell properties across the island.

The company has eight sustainability pillars including energy efficiency and renewable energy, sustainable building materials, climate resilience and adaptability assessments.

The pillars also cover food production and landscaping, waste reduction, composting and recycling, water harvesting, recycling and management and accessibility design and master planning.

Mr Hatfield, a licensed real estate agent, said: “We started recognising that when people buy properties or are looking to enhance them, there’s an opportunity for them to consider sustainability. In Bermuda, when you own a property, there are lots of costs associated with it.

“If there are ways to reduce those costs by developing and deploying a sensible plan, it helps them to save money and maintain and increase the value of their home.

“It’s about thinking about ways to save money by reducing operational costs but also improving the comfort of the living space and making it more resilient

“We are going through a rapid change in our natural environment these days but Bermuda also has a changing sociopolitical environment. We are talking about how we can protect properties from rising fuel costs or how we can we help to reduce the cost of grocery bills by planning what can be grown in their garden.”

Ms Hatfield said: “Even if we’re not directly involved in a property owner’s real estate transaction, we bring together trusted real estate knowledge and innovative sustainability solutions to help people achieve their financial and lifestyle goals through a sensible, well-designed plan.”

Access to the real estate agent’s “world-class systems, data-driven market insights and a network that spans Bermuda and international markets” will enable Bedrock to bridge real estate and sustainability.

One service is advising clients on how to reduce their electricity and water bills by installing renewable energy, reducing their carbon footprint and by using grey water systems.

“A typical Bermuda household spends $500 to $1,000 per month on electricity and water. A Bedrock road map could reduce this by 25 to 40 per cent, saving up to $5,000 annually,” Mr Hatfield said.

“Homes with energy efficiency, water management, sensible landscaping and resilience features can command higher prices.”

Building climate resilience can include growing native and endemic trees and shrubs to reduce flooding risk and minimise the chance of cliff erosion affecting a property.

Mr Hatfield said that investing in resilience reduced risks from hurricanes, insurance premium increases and costly retrofits.

Bedrock uses the Scandinavian standard of Passivhaus to design energy-efficient buildings that achieve indoor air quality with minimal energy for heating and cooling.

Mr Hatfield explained: “It helps to reduce the energy costs and also increases the comfort in the building which, from a social perspective, improves the quality of life.”

For more information, visit www.bedrock.bm.