Lots in the South Pacific of Costa Rica are priced to sell and this is great news for those looking to build their dream home in paradise.

And I did just that, in just three months we built our own ocean view home in Dominical.

So how much does it really cost?

What should you expect when you’re building a home on the South Pacific coast?

Building costs are relative to the type of property you are looking to construct. Whether it is a small guest house or large villa, the importance of keeping a tight budget and finding great builders cannot be emphasized.

For a property like ours you can expect to pay between $100-$150 per square foot for your construction using quality materials and good workmanship.

Our builder worked on a set fee and brought 2-3 estimates from different hardware stores for all he materials we would need to ensure we got the best deal.

Any savings that were obtained with the purchase of materials where passed on to me as he was working on a set fee.

The contract stipulated a specific date for completion and this ensured our home had risen out of its foundations and was habitable in a little less than three months.

No Short Cuts and Plenty of Planning.

Our house was built to schedule because we had a motivated crew whot knew what that were doing. Although our builder was from Colorado I know plenty of local constructors that we could recommend in a heartbeat.

Electrical installation and plumbing works followed regulation, and there’s no cutting corners with this.

We were also advised to carefully consider the element of rain when building our home and this was integrated into the design prior to construction rather than being added on as an afterthought.

If you are able to physically be here during construction of your home, I would highly recommend building your own house rather than buying even though I am the first to admit it is not without hassle.

That being said my wife and I enjoyed the process of build our home in Costa Rica and we would do it again in the blink of an eye.

Probably the most challenging thing about this whole process has been trying to find the right furniture to put in the house with our two beautiful kids.

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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.