Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Incredibly, local buyers often don’t request a home inspection before closing a property. When investing a lot of money in a home, why wouldn’t you spend an extra few bucks to ensure you’re not buying into a huge problem? Imagine that you have found this excellent bargain property in Costa…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Why is a price-cutting trend so rare in Costa Rica real estate? There are several reasons. In typical real estate markets, it’s a buyer’s market when the inventory is high, and it’s a seller’s market when the inventory is low, right? Well, the Costa Rican real estate market is not…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Is renovating in Costa Rica difficult, or is updating a lot easier? While housing is more affordable in our beautiful country, most foreigners who need to renovate a home have their own standards. But renovating a house is a much larger headache than just updating. You will be jumping through…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Did you know that Tico construction is very different from US-built homes? I’ve seen opinions from expats who think they know but don’t. We DO have construction codes here in Costa Rica, BUT they’re only a bit different. If you don’t believe that, check out the INVU construction regulations. And…
Estimated Reading Time: 11 Minutes Why should you hire the architect and begin the planning process before buying the building lot? The vast majority of our customers don’t even talk to an architect until they want to start building the house. Hiring an architect before buying the building lot they fell in love with is…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Although it’s more expensive, learn now why tempered double-glazed glass in your home in Costa Rica is a good idea. Have you ever thought of getting double-glazed glass windows from double glazing Bristol and enjoying the benefits that come with them? I never even thought about using it in my house until…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Homeowners in Costa Rica almost never think of upgrading their kitchen. They usually stay their whole life in the same home. Maybe they give it a new coat of paint now and then. If that! In many other countries, homeowners seem to outgrow their homes a lot quicker. Some do…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Are you buying a condo in Costa Rica and you don’t know how a condo inspection should work? Obviously, buying a condo is different from buying a single-family dwelling for many reasons. In Costa Rica, real estate is sold “as is”. Therefore, a home inspection is nothing more than a…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes The construction life expectancy in Costa Rica is not the same as it is in many other countries. Many home buyers from other countries do not realize that the construction life expectancy of a home or building can be much shorter here than it is in some other countries. I…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Residential real estate developers and builders in Costa Rica make promises quite easily. That’s because promises are easily made, as long as the sale is made, right! A buyer often cannot even start to imagine how difficult those promises are to fulfill. Especially in a buyer’s market, when you will…
In this blog, I’d like to attend to a question we receive almost daily: what is the construction cost in Costa Rica? I wish the answer was simple but there are many details involved that will change the building cost of a home. Now, in 2019, construction cost in Costa Rica runs anywhere between $70…
To build a house in Costa Rica is quite a process. We are committed to making the process of your property purchase as smooth as we can. So, before you make any mistakes, let me walk you through the 9 steps to build a house in Costa Rica. 1. Budget What is your budget? Have…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Is it possible for a foreign build to start a construction company in Costa Rica? Yes, it is. But is it recommendable? I get so many people asking me if they can start a construction company in Costa Rica that I have decided to write a blog about it. So…
River setbacks are restricted areas of property surrounding the rivers and creeks in Costa Rica. The law strictly prohibits to build any roads or structures on river setbacks. Prohibited also are excavation, alteration, improvement, grading, landfill, paving, and storage. INVU controls the river setbacks, so they can protect the riverbeds against destruction. Looking to purchase…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Owning a beachfront vacation home can be sublime; the fresh air and lapping waves are a luxurious treat, to be sure. Despite all of the perks of ocean living, however, there is a challenge: salty, coastal air can be harsh on your belongings. If you lament over how to repair the…
Should the common areas of condominiums and gated communities be inspected? This story about an Escazu condo home inspection is a perfect example so you can learn the answer to this question. In Costa Rica, real estate developers build more and more condos and homes in gated communities. You probably will want to know how this…