In early 2012 I looked around. All the building and projects were finished including my kitchen remodel with tile counters and site milled cedar cabinets, remodeled bathroom with new tile and cabinets, appliances, an outdoor bathroom and an outdoor stone shower.

The complete house rebuild (including complete kitchen and bathroom remodeling with new fixtures etc. that happened early 2012) and even new bamboo and wood furniture wound up costing a total of $25,000 – under $27/square foot.

Total Expenses.

• Purchase. $50,000
• Property improvements: $9,000. fencing, gates, concrete walks, gardens and planters, deck, water management system, septic systems
• All buildings: $65,000 or $20.00/sf
• Rebuilt house, complete with covered carport (above) $25,000
• Outdoor studio with kitchen with plumbing/electricity $20,000
• Two cabinas with private bathrooms with plumbing/electricity $16,000
• Aviary, outdoor bathroom and hot shower $4000
• Total cost of improvements, after the initial purchase = $74,000

Thoughts.

Moving to Costa Rica and deciding where and how to live requires some thought and willingness to venture into a new culture and language. An adventurous spirit certainly helps.

Though most Expats I know have not chosen to rebuild an old Tico house, it has worked very well for me. I wound up with the house of my dreams.

My financial limitations started the process. The first night I slept on my Walmart air mattress in the empty Tico house got me thinking about just what I needed to feel comfortable.

That night I wanted a comfortable bed, a warm shower, a light for reading, a place to put my book and a glass of water, a television set I could watch from bed and high speed internet.

I began there. Nothing was added to the list automatically because I was used to it.

I reasoned that my neighbors got along healthily and happily with no dishwasher or hot water in their kitchen, so why couldn’t I?

My initial decision to keep the existing foundation and basic floor plan created challenges and opportunities for thoughtful design. If the room was too small, could I just move a wall?

It worked perfectly for my bedroom and adjacent office. A raised roof and ceiling over the living area made the place feel bigger even though it wasn’t. Attention to air movement helped with issues like mold and a simple ceiling fan worked beautifully.

Daylight pours through the translucent plastic in my office from a skylight in the attic.

Because I spend so much time there, the low tech natural light saves on lighting electricity. The list goes on.

Sometimes what we humans need in order to feel good, healthy and happy is much less than we’ve been led to believe.

Simple solutions may be available but overlooked because we’ve been taught to ‘think BIG’.

Perhaps it is the limitations themselves that spark our willingness to look at new creative options. As an artist I believe that our creativity springs to life only when we come up against problems or limitation(s).

If it works this way in a painting, why not also in life? New solutions pop in out of nowhere. Serendipity starts weaving its way into the process. And we are off, seeing new solutions, new expressions!

The last thing I finished was the outdoor shower, certainly the culminating crown jewel complete with a rainforest shower head that emerges from the tree above, wonderful hot water, concrete bench and embedded with all the shells and small stones I’d collected over a lifetime.

It is tucked in a private alcove near the aviary and outdoor bathroom. A soothing hot shower on a rainy evening is pure delight.

And it is a wonderful place to sit quietly before dawn and meditate.

Sometimes I wonder if I would have started down this path if I’d arrived here with financial resources. I may have selected something already completed or decided to build my ‘western inspired tropical dream house’ — both paths more traveled.

I would have missed, however seeing and experiencing what a humble Costa Rican house could be. My life now in this rebuilt Tico house is simple, quiet and very comfortable. And the real bottom line is that I love the experience of living my life in this house more than in any house before… and it is fully paid for.

Truly Pura Vida.

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Jan’s workshops are open to all levels of experience and include opportunities to see and experience the life she lives. Her book, The Watercolor Artist’s Guide to Exceptional Color is a widespread favorite among watercolor painters and published in 5 languages.

You can enjoy the following articles in this series written Jan Hart:

1. Rebuilding a Tico House in Costa Rica – Part I. A path less traveled.
2. Rebuilding a Tico House in Costa Rica – Part II. The contract.
3. Rebuilding a Tico House in Costa Rica – Part III. The bottom line and some thoughts.

If you have ever dreamed of living in a place that’s as close to a tropical paradise as you can find … Please contact our Recommended Costa Rica Realtors James Drews, Daveed Hollander and John Wieland by using the simple form below:

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.