If time is a factor for you, building is not the best option. In addition to shopping for land, you have to do permitting, hire a contractor, supervise the construction, and then handle all the procedures for getting utilities hooked up. All this – if you do it right – often takes upwards of two

Many people build their own home in Costa Rica simply because there aren’t any acceptable ones for sale in the area of their choice. Despite the building boom that’s been sweeping the country for the last decade or so, many popular areas still lack a significant volume of product to chose from. Still, this can’t

Building your own home is more expensive, in the short-term, than renting. However, like buying a home, you can think of it as an investment if you plan to live in it for long enough. Also, building a home is generally even a better investment than buying because it costs less: When you buy into

Pros Return on investment: The money you pay into your property stays there, and if you own it long enough, it’s an asset that will increase in value. The same is true when you build, but not when you rent. Ownership: Owning your own property means you can do what you like with it, within

Buying a finished property means you’ll be sinking a sizable chunk of money into a relatively illiquid asset in a developing country. This means a couple of things. First, that you can look on this outlay of resources as an investment. In the long-run, you will probably sell the property for more than you bought

Buying a home gives you more opportunity to pick a place that fits your taste, as well as to make changes as you wish. When renting, you are beholden to a landlord. When owning, you are not. There are a few different degrees of flexibility when buying a finished home. One, if you buy the

Owning property means that you have to take charge of its upkeep. That means paying condo fees, hiring local help, or taking on the work yourself. It also means paying taxes. Fortunately, none of these things are really costly in Costa Rica. Condo fees won’t exceed $100 a month unless you’re living in a complex