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Has anybody looked into this?
I’ve written to a couple of outfits in Bali / Indonesia to get some estimates on cost.
One of the companies builds many of their structures to end up in Hawaii, and states that their building methods are to Hawaii’s strict code as to earthquake and wind standards.
These structures range in size from gazebos, to small one room houses, to larger two story homes, and are then disassembled, shipped and bolted back together on site.
As well, they offer various choices in types of wood used for construction, some of which are not prone to termite infestation.
At this point, we are concidering this as one option in order to get a smaller, 50 to 80 meter one or two bedroom structure and install it on either concrete piers or a pad.
Here’s my question(s).
What type, if any, permit may be required to do this?
I beleive that the companies I have contacted will supply engineering drawings.
Is an architect needed at all for this?
I realize that we can have a wooden structure built in Costa Rica, but if the costs would end up being comparable, it might be nice to get our first structure done without too much hassle.
Plus, we really like the Bali esthetic.
Eventually we plan to build a more substancial compound from scratch, and this idea would be to give us something to live in until we can get to that point.
Any thoughts, concerns, or info., or experiences with this will be great.
Thanks, Mark.
Oh yea, before anybody brings it up, we are somewhere where we shouldn’t need to worry about someone unbolting it and carrying it away, but thanks…….Well Mark, I wouldn’t be so sure. I just heard of a whole house being stolen in an extremely remote and quiet area of Turrialba. The gentleman built a decent size house awhile back and just came back to find it basically missing and is now staying at my friend’s house quite a bit further down the mountain until his living arrangements can be clarified. I had heard of items being stolen from homes that were left alone for prolonged periods of time, but never heard of a whole house being taken apart until now…The Balinese esthetic is quite beautiful and I wish you the best of luck with your project, but I guess this is a warning that we should not leave any home unattended for too long of a time in CR…
Rebeca, If that story wasn’t so sad I would have laughed myself off the chair. That has to be one of the more unusual thefts I have ever heard of. The inventiveness of the criminal mind is extraordinary. Besides the fact they have the temerity to be thieves, you would think they would have been a little concerned someone might have caught them. Brazen acts such as this leave a person feeling nothing is sacred or safe.
I see now why the Tico is so in love with the block and concrete method of construction. Stealing a house brick by brick would seem a little too difficult.lol
Mark, Weld the nuts on. At least it might slow them down. Good luck to you.
Pura vida,
AlAlfred, I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard this either! Part of the issue is that this gentleman thought he was safe being in a very remote part of CR, but that may have been what helped people take off with the stuff without being seeing by the little public there is in that area. Apparently he left someone “watching” over his home. Well, I don’t know what this supposed caretaker has said to the homeowner, but the only watching he did was watch the thieves come and go – LOL to us, but I’m sure not so funny to this poor homeowner!
I mean what is he supposed to do if he sees one of his windows or his roof on someone else’s home in the town down below? Anyway, welding the bolts and nuts sounds wise right about now…
Establishing exactly what import duties you would pay on this type of product would probably be very ‘complicado.’
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comRebeca, Not wanting to make more light of this man’s misfortune, but having a caretaker to watch his home makes this all the more comical. You can’t let the foxes guard the henhouse!
I hope he had insurance on this house. Although, how do you explain to the insurance company it’s not damaged, just missing, and may show up in bits and pieces in other parts of the country. It really has to hurt. I wish him well
I looked into this with a guy who is based out of Hawaii and travels to Bali to locate homes, disassemble and ship. This is for those who want an authentic Balinese home, not those looking for an affordable quick and easy build. I think a prefab suits this function best and this company makes a pretty good looking house. This is highly cost effective and comes with the architect plans etc..This is not for everyone.
http://www.moduloscr.com/Hello my name is scott baker and my wife and myself purchased a condo in Las Palmas from Mapache. The guys doing the work did not secure our sliding glass doors so as a result they went in and removed the majority of our belongings, it does not matter where you live down there there are thieves everywhere. But I still love going down there and it did not hinder our love for the country. I can see them stealing the entire house cause you see how they take down the palapas and move them from one location to another the Balanise house is probably similar to these.
I have owned two houses which have not been in gated communities in different provinces of Costa Rica and have been able to enjoy prolonged stays in other parts of the country without nothing more than a bicycle being stolen from my yard. Now I guess part of that may be luck, but I also think that a good part of that was that wherever I have lived, I have tried to get to know my neighbors and this has meant that we have all watched over each other. Sometimes we had paid guards and sometimes not, but our concern for each other was more effective than local security guards who sometimes were questionable at their jobs and might be the ones tipping off the burglars. Of course, this meant that at 2 AM when a thieve jumped my backyard wall to steal my friend’s expensive bicycle and I ran out after the burglar in my PJ’s and with my Alaskan Malamute in tow, that I received quite a teasing from my neighbor friends the next morning about my attire, but it also confirmed what I thought to be true, my neighbors were watching, I wasn’t alone and they would have come to help if necessary. It’s when you’re in very remote areas and there aren’t any visible neighbors that I worry most about finding trustworthy caretakers for property and some sort of personal safety device other than luck. This has also worked for me in Jersey where I never lock my doors…People can be your friends and your allies or you can choose to keep to yourself and then they will do the same. Costa Rica is full of lovely, smart and funny people…I hope you choose to get to know your neighbors more, it can be rewarding in more ways than one. I always prefer to be friendly with the neighbors than to alienate them. it’s more fun and can also end up being more helpful…
Cute guys, I suppose that if one were to post ” Does anybody know where to get a good knish in this town?” it would take no ore then two responses to get something like: ” I don’t know where to get a knish, but you might try the this remote village that for some reason has a kosher section of its farmers market. It’s every other Tuesday, except for next week which I hear is National Flat Tire Week, and ofcourse the whole place shuts down. Anyway, I got a Quiche last week in Escazu, I put it in my safe room to cool down, in in less then five minutes it was stolen…gone. Mark, before you get your culinary dreams smashed, you might want to rethink your trip up into the highlands for that knish. Even food is not safe here in the land of Pura Vida.
I have to say though, that the people are lovely, and it is probably our fault for bringing in quiche and knishs in the first place”
Really, anybody out the that has any thoughts on the building, importing, and living in this type of home as opposed to building from scratch?
I PROMISE that if I get one, that I will regale you with stories of small children carrying it away piece by piece as I sit,obliviousl, with thier parents, my good friends by then, sipping guaro sours in the shade.You’re very funny and that’s wonderful because a good sense of humor is imperative in life, especially when thinking about building a house in another country…Seriously, I think many of us would actually be interested to follow your progress on this project. Balinese houses are certainly not typical for CR and it might help others follow suit. Please keep us informed.
I would suggest you contact the Engineers and Arquitect Association of CR to have your question fully answered and avoid nasty little suprises after you’ve started the process [http://www.cfia.or.cr/ Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y Arquitectos]. Their email is: usuario@cfia.or.cr and telephone number 506-202-3900. They are located next to the CR Indoor Club in Curridabat. Also, reach out to the municipality you’re thinking of moving into to start getting acquainted with their building process.
You might also find info helpful regarding building in general:
http://www.vivacostarica.com/costa-rica-real-estate/building-a-home.html
Besides searching on the WeLoveCostaRica site.Hmm, Guaro sours–never heard of them…Where I’ll hopefully be staying this summer is more of a chicha type of place (lol)…Pura Vida and best of luck!
Edited on Jan 24, 2008 07:38
I have a question I am going back down to Playa Del Coca this weekend to my prop. and I want to pay my taxes does anyone have any advice on where I go and what to expext.
You typically pay your taxes either at the Municipality or deposit the monies in their bank account and fax them over a copy of your deposit. Since you’re already going to be there, I suggest you pay the taxes in person and get your Paid Receipt. Every municipality is different and you will need to give yourself some time to get thru the process. In Barva de Heredia it always meant waiting in a few lines, but the wait was not astronomical either.
I do believe Playas del Coco are part of the Municipality of Carrillo and this is the part of their website regarding real estate transactions/taxes http://www.municarrillo.go.cr/catastro.html.
You can also reach them at : (506) 688-8039 // 688-8639 // 688-8543 // 688-5968 // 688-5969 // 688-5970
Located at: 200 mts Norte del Parque Central de Filadelfia, Carrillo, Gte,Costa Rica
Mailing Address: 5-5050 Filadelfia Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Their banking info:
(send copy of your paid receipt via fax to: 506-688-7060 and they will send you a receipt via fax)
Checking account or as is known in CR as Cuenta Corriente:
Municipalidad de Carrillo
Banco Nacional de C.R #1945-5 agencia 026
Banco de Costa Rica #3978-0 agencia 225
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