Costa Rica Real Estate. Always Inspect The Home You Want To Buy.

Having been a resident in Costa Rica, (originally from Berkeley, California) since the early 1970’s and having worked in construction and building maintenance here for many years, I’m now working full-time to provide a home inspection service throughout the country.

Even though in the U.S. it would be rare to buy a home without having it professionally inspected first, people moving to Costa Rica often go along with the way things are done locally. For some reason they forget simple business practices here which would be the norm at home.

One problem I’ve noticed is that the Realtors themselves are reluctant to suggest that a home be inspected. I’m sure they would rather not cause any sort of “stumbling blocks” to the sale of the house they have listed. And, of course, many of these Realtors are not aware that this service is available here.

When a client does insist on an inspection, they are often directed to a particular builder in the area who does a superficial walk-through of the house to see that everything looks OK.

Ideally, a home inspection will benefit both the Realtor and the buyer. The reason is that the buyer will be assured that the building is as sound as the Realtor has suggested. If the building isn’t sound, it may be possible to arrange some repairs beforehand or, negotiate a better price.

The problem with a less than thorough inspection is that the buyer is sometimes left to guess about certain features that are part of the typical Costa Rican home.

Even though these are not considered defects, they would be included in an inspection report and are valuable for general information. One such item might be the water pump. A pump, pressure tank and captation tank (or cistern-sometimes below and other times above ground). These are often installed as a backup water supply system in urban areas especially (since in decades past the water supplies were less reliable than now).

Another might be the electric shower heater mounted directly above the shower nozzle. These are called “instant heat” units which connect electrically, via a diaphragm contact switch which closes when the water is turned on to the shower nozzle. They are quite safe, but may look menacing, and can save a lot on heating bills.

A great many homes here have septic systems installed, since there are only municipal sewer treatment plants in newer areas. These are, of course, underground and sometimes hard to locate. A home inspection will review the grounds around where such a system is installed to be sure that there are no visible leaks or exposed pipes.

The house’s construction plans, if available, will be reviewed to see the size, type and location of the tank and the routes established for the leach lines, and to observe any visible cleanout covers for condition, etc. The toilets will be flushed and observed for water flow as well as their physical installation and condition.

During such a review it can sometimes be determined if the old style ceramic pipes were used or if the more modern PVC pipes are installed. (Sometimes the older pipes have cracked or opened at the joints and allowed tree roots to enter, while the PVC type rarely does.)

The main cables on the electrical system will be tested for voltage and load balance, as well as each outlet (both for proper grounding and polarity, etc.). The location of the breaker boxes or fuses will be identified, as well as the function of the intercom system and phone lines.

The windows, frames and hardware are reviewed-the same with the exterior and interior doors-and garage doors and their openers tested.

Each wall is carefully viewed to see if there are signs of settling or moisture damage, and the same with the floors and ceilings. Any access doors to the attic area will be noted and the area examined for signs of pests or structural problems for the roof and walls.

The roof, gutters and downspouts are also an important part of the inspection process.

In addition to a complete review of the building itself, the grounds are also inspected. That is, driveways, sidewalks, perimeter walls and gates, etc.

A typical home inspection for a two or three bedroom house takes about three hours. Photographs are taken of important features or problems which need addressing, and these are included in the final report (which is usually emailed to the client).

If you are looking for someone to help you with a home inspection, please see contact Thomas Patrick Rosenberger of CostaRicaHomebuilder.com With more than 28 years of homebuilding experience, 18 of which have been in Costa Rica, construction consultant Tom Rosenberger knows the ins and outs of building and remodeling a home in the Central Valley area of Costa Rica. You can contact Tom using his Contact Us page here.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.