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…
The resale of your house could be a huge problem when you plan custom building a house in Costa Rica. I see it happen over and over again. When I list a house for sale in Costa Rica, the seller often tells me that he or she put way more into the house. The general…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do the home improvements you would like to make to your home make sense? You bought your house in Costa Rica 10 years ago, time for a change. Living in the same house, day after day, can get boring, especially if you are retired and spend full time in it.…
Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes Did you know that the standards in Costa Rican construction are probably different from the ones you are used to? The successful construction of housing in Costa Rica depends on the efforts of hundreds of tradesmen and thousands of building materials all assembled at the right time in the right…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Costa Rica has earned a worldwide reputation for being environmentally conscious, so it was time to show you some green updates. If you own an older house in Costa Rica, you can start investing in green updates now that will live up to that reputation and pay off when you…
Is it a good idea for a buyer to make repairs prior to closing or not? In Costa Rica real estate, it is customary to buy a home for sale “as is”, but should you negotiate this or not? It is easy to include a home inspection contingency into your offer, which is not always…
Planning on searching for home sites in Heredia? Wait a sec, you might not want to. Starting August 2015, there are water restrictions on some home sites in Heredia. We all need water to be able to live and global warming has changed the ground rules. The water supply in some areas of Costa Rica…
Are you buying a new house or a condo from a real estate developer in Costa Rica? Don’t you know how binding the builder’s promise is? You are probably purchasing a particular property from a real estate developer or builder for the specific finishes. This can be: a beautiful swimming pool, the clubhouse, a beautiful…
You’ll see green real estate advertised everywhere, just like eco-communities. But does green real estate exist in Costa Rica, or is it just an overused marketing term? What’s the difference between green real estate and eco real estate? The Guardian considers Costa Rica a biodiversity hotspot. INBio, the National Biodiversity Institute, states that about 4.5%…
How important are roofing membranes to a Costa Rican home? Costa Rica home builder Thomas Rosenberger, in two former blogs, has explained all about Costa Rica roofing and roof repairs as well as how to stop your roof from leaking. In this blog, Tom covers the use of impermeable membrane product on the roof surface…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Time for leaking roof maintenance tips. Roofs of Costa Rican homes suffer a lot because there is lots of rainfall. Rains start in September and don’t stop until December. Last week, the # 1 home inspector in Costa Rica, Thomas Rosenberger, explained how necessary it is to use quality materials…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Once you purchase a home in Costa Rica roofing and roof repairs become an important part of your life. You should know that once the rainy season begins, your leaky roofs and flashing installations need repairs. During the rainy season, there is a lot more rain than receive back home.…
A Costa Rica home structure needs to be strong enough to withstand the earthquakes. Nonetheless, it is possible to eliminate steel and to use a green solution. Laminated Wood or Bamboo beams for rafters and joists. These are a far superior solution for structural needs when building a Costa Rica home, that although be it…
Should you trust the electrical installations of the home you’re planning to purchase? When buying a home in Costa Rica, you can expect a different electrical system in the home than you are used to. We install electric outlets to enable our appliances, lamps, computer equipment, etc to work for our convenience. In most new…