Lots in the South Pacific of Costa Rica are priced to sell and this is great news for those looking to build their dream home in paradise. And I did just that, in just three months, I built our own ocean view home in Dominical. So how much does it really cost?
What to expect when you’re building in the South Pacific of Costa Rica
Building costs are really relative to the type of property you are looking to construct. Whether it is a small guest house or large villa I cannot emphasize enough the importance of keeping a tight budget and finding great builders.
For a property like ours expect to pay between $100-$150 a sq. ft. for your construction using quality materials and workmanship.
Our builder worked on a set fee and brought 2-3 estimates from different hardware stores to ensure we got the best deal. Any savings that were obtained with the purchase of materials where passed on to me as he was working on a set fee. The contract stipulated a specific date for completion and this ensured our home had risen out of its foundations and was habitable in a little less than 3 months.
No Short Cuts and Plenty of Planning
Our house was built to schedule because we had a motivated crew that knew what that were doing. Although our builder was from Colorado I know plenty of local constructors that I would recommend in a heartbeat.
Electrical installation and plumbing works followed regulation, and there’s not cutting corners with this. We were also advised to carefully consider the element of rain when building our home and this was integrated into the design prior to construction rather than being added on as an afterthought.
I would highly recommend building your own house rather than buying even though I am the first to admit it is not without hassle.That being said my wife and I enjoyed the process of our build and would do it again in the blink of an eye. I would say that the most challenging thing about this whole process has been trying to find the right furniture to put in the house with our two beautiful kids.