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We are starting to build a home in Playa Panama in the next few weeks. We will be spending a week in San Jose, Aug 4 thru Aug 11 deciding on tile, cabinet makers, appliances,plumbing fixtures etc. Any suggestions where to go and the name and address of a good quality cabinet maker. Thanks
The ferreteria(sp?) called Ferraloza in Tibas has the best selection of tile we’ve found and probably the best prices. Ask for Jaime and tell him Dave Murray (Agent 006) sent you.
LaArtistica in Pavas is a source of Maytag appliances. Ask for Mario Viollota whose English is excellent and who has always been very helpful.
The Constru Plaza on the autopista in Escazu is a good source for plumbing fixtures, some lighting and general hardware.
Ziruma on the same autopista but west of the Forum Santa Ana seems like a very professional operation who can supply stone (granite, marble, slate and limestone, at least) for countertops, floors, etc. They can fabricate an elegant sink of the same material as the contertop and at tolerable prices. Ask for Olga.
And always offer to pay by cash or check (“effectivo”) to obtain the best price.
David thank you for the information. I will go to these vendors and see what they have to offer. Do you know how the prices for appliances are compared to the US. I currently live in Tortola,BVI and have lost touch with stateside prices. Thanks again.
Appliance prices here are higher than in the U.S. at least for imported items. Atlas appliances are made here.
If you approach Mario Villota real friendly-like and make a substantial purchase, you can get a very attractive discount.That said, we just bought a self-cleaning Ceran (smooth) top electric range for about $800 (not cheap where I come from, but cheaper than equivalent models from Whirlpool or GE).
One thing to keep in mind with regard to cabinets and wooden furnishings – the climate of where you’re bringing it to. Costa Rica has wildly varying micro climates than can play havoc with wood. If you have the time, I’d visit with other locals to see what worked for them. Where I lived the humidity undermined the glue, and after 10 months or so the cabinet doors started falling off, and the furniture we bought in Sarchi started to separate at the seams.
As far as the appliances are concerned, it’s amazing how fast they corrode down there, probably much more so by the ocean. I don’t know how you can stop that.
Edited on Jul 31, 2006 09:27
I would really think twice about using suppliers in San Jose for appliances. If there is a problem and you have to return them it can be problematic. Why not use Verdugo or Gallo in Playaas del Coco, Do it or Liberia.
The same with tiles… factor in the cost of transport, breakages e3tc. You also need to be around when they load the transport or you may get the wrong materials.
I speak from experience having built here in Sardinal and now building another.
An excellent local cabinet maker is Jose Luis Bello in Liberia 666 8716 or 364 3488. Expensive and probably booked up for months.
The long established kitchen places like Meubles America and Euromobilia in San Jose are certainly woth talking to.
I used Technogranito in Santa Ana, worked out in the end but they had to measure twice.I really appreciate the responses I have received. I am taking notes of everyones comments as they are all valid concerns. I have also been told that I should expect to pay 25% to 30% more cost because we are building in Gaunacaste. They say this due to high transportation cost and the fact that good quality workers have to come from the Central Valley area (not to mention that everyone thinks if you build in that area you can afford to pay the the higher cost not true in my case) I am also very surprised that lawyers in CR charge the same hourly rate as the states. I only mention this becuse 20 minutes ago I received a quotation from a San Jose Lawyer. I guess they really try to take advantage of Gringos. I look forward to receiving more suggestions and comments
A good lawyer I use with reasonable rates is Miguel Cordoba Retana. He is in San Jose, very thorough and careful. mcordobaretana@yahoo.com
He advertises in the Tico Times.Most of the labour is local (in the papagayo area), but there is a real shortage of skilled local labour…a good plumber, electrician, welder, carpenter etc can virtually name their own price. and yes people will try to charge the maximum…everyone wants to profit from the boom here.
Do you have a builder already?
Phil
My Architect is going to be the general contractor and we are going to meet with all the major subs and go over pricing for labor and materials. He has treated us fairly with his architectural fees. We have spent alot of time on the design. He and his wife also stayed a week with us in Tortola to finalise the drawings. He is a nice guy and I do feel he has integrity and will continue to work on our behalf. Some people think that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a lawyer review invoices have independant inspections and ok payments to the contractor. That is why I made the comment in my last posting on lawyers fees. I received a quote.
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