Many people arrive to Costa Rica with the goal of purchasing a stand-alone home: They want to own their home—and the property it stands on—free of any of the entanglements that condominiums and other options bring with them. Perhaps they also subscribe to the not unreasonable notion that stand-alone homes connote greater opulence and prestige than do homes contained within a gated community (more about them below). (According to Yalile Alpizar, a Costa Rican realtor who specializes in high-end properties, a luxury home—a million dollars and up—should include at least 400 m² and should be situated on at least 700 m² of terrain. They typically have a minimum of three bedrooms; and the master bedroom generally has two walk-in closets. A swimming pool and other amenities are de rigueur.)

Stand-alone homes, of whatever price, do have a number of advantages over, say, condominiums. You’re not obligated to heed bylaws or attend community decision-making meetings. You’re also afforded greater privacy. And, generally, stand-alone homes have more yard space than do condominiums.

But, for all their positive features, stand-alone homes do have a number of disadvantages. If you want to build a home—and if the lot you buy doesn’t already have water, electrical, and telephone service—then you or someone you hire will need to sort through all the red tape. The same holds true for building permits. All of this contrasts with the process of building within a gated community, where lots are almost always sold with water and electrical service already provided (that’s not always the case with respect to access to telephone service, however) and building permits have already been obtained. Another problem with stand-alone homes is the question of security. These homes are particularly inviting targets for thieves, who are often discouraged by the guard houses that front gated communities. You also have to ask yourself whether you plan on renting out your home whenever you leave the country. There are property management companies that do offer that service to owners of stand-alone homes—and some luxury homes are rented out for thousands of dollars per week—but in some cases you might find it more convenient to work with the property management office that is often an integral part of the package offered by gated communities and condominiums. The property management office can also be contracted to do garden and general home maintenance—either on a full-time basis or only when you are not occupying your home.