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Planning on moving to a town outside of San Jose…any recommendations for a single (I mention that cause I want to be safe but not too safe for a woman), 57 yr old artist/craftswoman …a town in a most beautiful setting? I’d love to caretake someone’s home outside of San Jose and also look to buy my own too…any suggestions on finding such a position?
What’s your timeline? We will soon be starting our main house having already built a one-bedroom guest house. Once the main house is finished, the guest house may be available,
We’re in Grecia which is about 35 minutes from the airport in San Jose. We actually live about 7.5km outside town and 500m from the paved road where the bus runs. As near as I can tell, this is a pretty safe area.
I’m hoping the end of August or there about to come down and look for a home/place to live. What is the population of Grecia? Is the electrical outlets 120 volts the same as in the U.S? Do you have well water? If living in town of Grecia…how is the water there? Any pictures of Grecia?
thank you for your reply!Tia
I have been to Grecia many times. It is a beautiful town with most of the amenities you would need.
Be prepared for a wet rainy season. Grecia does get it’s share of moisture. So carry an umbrella.
Population of grecia is not know to me, but it is a comfortable and small city. A great central park that is dominated by a beautiful, steel church.
About the Steel Church from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grecia:
A shipment of steel prepared in Rome was placed on a cargo ship bound for Greece. However, the destination was listed as “Grecia” rather than “Greece”. For some reason the shippers decided that the shipment was destined for Grecia, Costa Rica rather than the country of Greece (which is spelled “Grecia” in some languages). So, the steel shipment was sent to Grecia, Costa Rica. Taking this as a sign from God (because the steel came from Rome), the people of Grecia used the steel to construct a Catholic Church. The Church stands today in Grecia as a monument to that shipment.I have sipped and cupped the water from several areas of Costa Rica and it is safe to drink from the tap. Great to shower in… I still dread the thought of drinking the water of Mexico in this manner.
Electricity is 110v standard voltage.
Grecia is a “town” of about 50,000, more or less. It’s at about 3,500 feet which means that it gets hot in the afternoon but not unbearable. Like the rest of the Central Valley, its rainy season runs about May through November, give or take. And it does have most of the amenities you need on a daily basis as well as a fairly robust gringo population. There are ample medical and dental providers, several pharmacies, clothing, food and hardware stores, restaurants, banks, etc, etc.
Most developed areas are served by local water utilities. In el Cajon where we live, we have a water system that draws its water from some springs higher up the mountain. The water is piped directly to your home; there is no processing. The taste is fine and we are aware of no water quality problems. Periodically, the water is tested. There is some pressure from the government to chlorinate it, but so far that’s been resisted.
For example, Grecia…do you think it would be difficult to find a house within the city (I’d like not to have an automobile) for around $140,000 2 bedroom and studio space… are there many houses like that for sale by owner?…do most houses have hot water? cause I’d like that! Walking distance to grocery, P.O., bank etc…is what I’m looking for. If you wanted to buy a lamp for your home…would you probably find one in Grecia? If you needed to repair the one you have, would you be able to find a shop that could do that in Grecia?
I think there’s probably a house like what you want within the city, but I wouldn’t limit my search there. Bear in mind that the bus system is excellent. Many people rely on it. And taxis are omnipresent and very reasonable. You can take a bus into town from our place for about $.60 and taxi home with your groceries for less than $4.00 — maybe a lot less.
The modestly priced homes you’ll find in Grecia and elsewhere will be built to Tico standards — small, dark and airless rooms, no hot water, close to the road and likely very close to the neighbors. A budget of $140,000 ought to buy you a very nice building lot and a custom-built house that meets your expectations in every way.
Just as an example, we bought two manzanas (about 3.5 acres) at the end of a farm service road 500 meters from the paved road for $34,000. We built a one-bedroom, one bath, guest house with a one-car garage on it and had a lot of financial problems most of which could have been avoided. The house cost us $86,000. Total invested: $120,000. And we have room to build the main house on the same property. It will cost a great deal less. Point is, $140,000 could put you into a very, very nice place that would meet all your needs.
And yes, you can get a lamp rewired in most fereterias (hardware stores),
what are the advantages of buying a house already built?
…………disadvantages……….
What are the advantages of purchasing land and building?
………….disadvantages………………..David,
Would you mind sharing as to what happened? Why did the 1 bedroom house cost so much! I’m sure any info will help the rest of us intending to build. Hope all goes well on the main house.
DebbieOur guest house cost $52 per square foot to build.
To begin with, the house itself is over 800 square feet and the garage is almost 700. Then, we found poor subsoil conditions despite having had a soil survey done, and had to put part of the foundation down almost four meters. We also encountered some drainage problems that couldn’t be ignored.
We upgraded a few things like the windows, and we excavated more than necessary on the upslope side so that it wouldn’t feel so “closed in”. And we did not use the very cheapest components, like floor tile, cabinetry, countertops, etc. We could have saved some money on those items and some others, but we’d probably have ended up replacing them when they didn’t hold up. Sometimes, it pays to spend the long dollar at the beginning but to only spend it once.
Our cost included all the costs for the architect (who supervised the project through to completion), permits, final grading, enough sod to hold the soil, drainage that would have to be done eventually, gravel for the driveway, etc, etc. Also in the costs I’ve cited were appliances — stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer, but no dishwasher.
We also put our trust in a local gringo to manage the project while we were still living in the U.S. In retrospect, we’re not sure that trust was well placed. Certainly, some decisions were made that were not in our best interest. If I had it to do over again, I would be very much more careful that the bid I accepted from the builder was a total, one hundred percent, guaranteed fixed cost bid with no provision for additions. That bid would specify all the component costs and provide that any savings come back to us.
The only certain advantages that I can see to buying an existing house are that you can move in right away and you’ll know exactly what you’re getting. And you’ll have a fair idea of what it will cost. Hidden problems may be . . . hidden. The disadvantages are that you’re buying someone else’s idea of what the house should be and you’re living with their taste. I’ve built most of the houses I’ve lived in because I never felt the need for a fourth bedroom and a family room. We never had kids. Who would we put there?
If you build, it’ll take longer and you must be careful to control costs. But you can get a design that fits your needs, select all the components (cabinetry and countertops, electrical and plumbing fixtures, tile, paint, windows and doors, etc) to fit your tastes. And the house will be where you want it to be. If studio space is a consideration, then you’ll want to make extra provision for natural light, maybe a place to make a mess, etc. Those things are difficult to retrofit.
On building a house: I don’t know enough about construction to feel confident about making dissions on soil-type, foundations, drainage, plumbing, electrical etc. I’ve only got so much money and if costs were higher (as they usually are) that would be a big problem. For me, I think buying an existing house is still the best bet. Just guessing, how many houses do you think are for sale in town for $140,000….2 bedroom with studio space?
thank for your informative replys!Tia7, you don’t need to understand all about wiring and plumbing, soil types, foundations and drainage, etc. That’s why you engage an architect (who will design a house that conforms to the building code and consult a structural engineer) and a builder. THEY are the experts. You tell ’em what your needs are, let them develop a construction budget, take the contract they propose to an attorney who’s on your side for review, and ultimately pay the bills. The architect can also supervise the building process to be sure that the house that’s actually built conforms to the plan.
What you do need to do is participate actively in the planning process from the perspective of the owner/occupant. That is, you need to carefully consider the sizes and orientations of rooms, locations of electrical outlets, layout of the kitchen, etc, etc. It’s a lot of detail work, but it is well worth it.
You’ve mentioned “studio space” in a couple of replies. Just what does that mean? Are you a portrait photographer? A ceramicist? A painter? A jeweler? I have to believe that the needs of those types of artists are significantly different, so the studio space you aspire to should be what your requirements dictate. I’d be surprised if you found what you need in an existing house.
You can surely find a two-bedroom house in town in Grecia in the $140,000 price range, but I’d begin looking in the $50,000 range and move up. It’s always easier to move up than down.
You should also be aware that neighborhoods not far outside Grecia could be very attractive alternatives. Costa Rica has excellent local and inter-city bus service, and taxis are cheap and everywhere. It would be entirely feasible to do as friends of ours have – take the bus or walk into town, shop, and take a taxi home. That would give you ready access to Grecia’s amenities, save you the cost of owning a car, and give you many more options of homes for sale or building sites.
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