New House Construction In Costa Rica - Known The Facts
New house construction in Costa Rica can be a real challenge to a person from the United States. The Costa Ricans, by nature, have a very relaxed and laid back attitude. Hence, you cannot expect the kind of efficiency and time keeping abilities that is very common in the United States. This article talks about a few points that will come handy when you plan to construct your dream home on the Costa Rican soil.
The first step to constructing a house in Costa Rica is finding the right place to buy. If you would like to be in a place where everything, ranging from a toothbrush to quality health care, is accessible in just 15-20 minutes, then, you need to consider buying a plot in one of the populous places in Costa Rica. If you are fine with staying in isolation, away from the hustle-bustle of the city, then you can consider the some area on the beach which is a good 2-3 hours drive from the city center.
You also need to services of a good architect who can guide you through the entire process. The plans that you come up with for constructing your house has to be signed off by a professional architect who has good reputation in Costa Rica. An architect can also help you redesign your plans to suit Costa Rican standards in case you have drawn it up based on American standards. The architect also needs to get all the permits needed for building your house.
The primary challenge to begin constructing a house in Costa Rica is finding a good trustworthy builder. You cannot choose a builder blindly by just taking the suggestions of the locals. This is because the way locals prefer their houses to be constructed and the way Americans would want their house constructed are very different. So, just because “ticos” (natives of Costa Rica) hold the builder in high regard you cannot just recruit him.
The actual challenge starts once the place for construction has been decided upon. Electricity in Costa Rica is very expensive. In this country, electricity is more of a luxury than necessity. The electrical wiring in Costa Rica is not properly grounded, which can be potentially dangerous and can give rise to a lot of complications later. Hence it is necessary to ensure that the electrical wiring is properly grounded.
An American also needs to be knowledgeable about the other aspects in Costa Rica which are different from America. Unlike in the United States of America, the electrical wiring of the houses is not properly grounded in most cases. Hence, utmost care has to be taken during the phase where electrical wiring is being established for the new house.
The amount of voltage supplied to each house in Costa Rica by the government is just 120v or 15amps. This can come as a total stunner to most Americans since they are used to running electrical appliances which consume more power. They would not be able to do the same in Costa Rica.
Finally, work in close connection with the architect and the builder to ensure that your house is being constructed as planned. Communication is a key aspect to constructing a new house in Costa Rica. Ask the builder to give you an estimate of the cost of construction including the materials to be use. Ensure that you communicate to the builder that you will select the finishing materials needed like tiles, flooring, paint, etc. New house construction in Costa Rica will not be as much as burden if you keep these few points in mind. There will be hiccups and obstacles to overcome but not as much as if you had not kept the above points in mind.
