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.
Purchasing the right plot for construction is just the beginning of the journey. The next step is to find a professional architect with good reputation in Costa Rica to design the plans for your house to suit Costa Rican standards. The architect has to sign off the plans and obtain the necessary permits from the government to setup construction. This is a must because many constructions have been stopped midway due to the lack of building permit.
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.
Another aspect is that most of the homes in Costa Rica do not have very high voltage supply. Using electrical appliances like a hair dryer can be virtually impossible. The electrical voltage provided for the entire house can be just 15 amps which can be quiet shock to Americans who use appliances, which need high voltage, very often.
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.
One of the most important facts during the construction of a new house in Costa Rica is to ensure uninterrupted communication between you and the builder. It is a very bad option to stay in the USA when your house is being constructed in Costa Rica. You will be in for a surprise, rather shock, when you come to Costa Rica to see the way your house has turned out to be!
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