Great information. I’m a CR resident currently living in Naples, Florida with my Tica wife and planning the move next year. Your channel is very helpful. Blessings
Great video! As my wife and I are approaching retirement Costa Rica is on our radar. I'm planning an exploratory trip to Tamarindo area (probably in a quieter outlying area, still researching) within the next year, and the info you presented here is very helpful. Thank you!
Thank for sharing ! Your house looks beautiful. It is exciting to see others achieve their dreams.My wife and I just purchased a house in Playa Carrillio at times we wished we had built maybe our next house
Thanks so much for your lovely comment! Congrats on your new place in Playa Carrillio - I have not been there before, where in Costa Rica is that located?
Great video! Regarding water, make sure you have a REGISTERED water source for the land you're buying. Just having water is not enough and could lead to significant delays as approving a water source is most definitely not guaranteed and can take a year or longer.:)
I'm new to the channel. Thanks for sharing all the valuable info! I have to find videos on how it is living here with 2 small children. We have 7 year old twins, so that gives my wife hesitation on moving here.
I'm so glad you found our channel! I understand the hesitation, we did also. It's now been three years and we don't regret the move a bit. Our kids are healthy and thriving!
Wonderful video - I'm curious about how your walls were made - concrete, stucco? do you have insulation in the walls? Did you install medium grade windows? Do you get mold in your lower cabinets - I see that they are closed.
Thanks for watching! We have rebar structure with concrete blocks. Yes, we have insulation. It's necessary because I am a musician/teacher and the rains get too loud with a metal roof/no insulation. We do not have problems with mold! We do not run the A/C all the time, but sometimes. We also keep fans running always and clean out cabinets etc every few months with a diluted vinegar solution. NO mold problems in over a year in this home!
How far are you away from the beach? Is coat of living cheaper? How much is weekly grocery,?monthly electricity /internet?? Enjoy your Pura Vida!! Love lots from Philippines
Hi and great video since I’m coming down soon to look at a lot for sale in Tambor beach and will have to build myself if I buy the lot. My question is did you get title to the land or are you far enough of the water and was not an issue? Thanks and enjoy your life there.
Hey there, love your videos! I’m currently in Lake Arenal and moving back to the Caribbean side at their end of the month. I do love your area, we spent 2 weeks there a few years ago. I’m in the process now in looking for a builder, I didn’t see your listed. Could you please share with me.. also I’m on my way to look at your chicken video, do you find that way bring snakes yo your yard at all, I want some chickens as well but someone had told me that.. I love how REAL your videos are, and so many things you say I’m like yup yup and yup! Can you also mention how many square meters your Proberty is, the property we are about to purchase is only 800 SM2 but yours looks double that.. it’s all so awesome.ty so much for sharing. By the way, I’m from Las Vegas and have been traveling here for about 8 years and moved to Puerto Viejo in 2020 but went back to the states when the world shut down.. now we’re back for good, I appreciate all of your advice. Thank you
Love the house, we are looking to move and build in Costa Rica and we want close to the beach as well. How much did you pay for land? Is there more land available there? Would you recommend your builder?
Hi! Thank you for sharing this video. We are thinking of building a vacation property in CR. How much did you pay for the purchase of your land? What part of Texas are you from? We are in Dallas. :)
Hi there! Our entire land (just over an acre) was around $90,000 USD. It is deeded, titled, 300 meters from the ocean and has fiber optic internet /water/electric connections. I'm originally from Plano, but lived in Granbury and Cleburne just south of Fort Worth for a while 😃
Would love more info on the build. Was it concrete or light steel frame? How you chose your build choice, did final cost include gates? Pool? Landscaping?
No kidding! We saw ALOT of fails, homes that were started and left abandoned. It was frankly sad. I’m thinking the government needs to step up and say the owners need to at least have full 100% builder plans & the $ to do it. People run out of money all the time too.
@@thejoyfuljohnsons Another example is the ideology attorney's want to be paid before they work. Does not work well either. In Cali as a contractor charge for materials when they arrive. Now you have to dicker with labor cost. Is that sharks i see circling around....?
It is the pink type of insulation similar to what is used in most homes in the United States. For our roof there is a shiny metal sheet but also the composite tiles on top! Using ONLY the metal sheet roof here makes for an insanely loud rainy season and the roof material does not last very long.
Hi there! Is there a way we can connect so I am able to ask a few questions? Family of 3 in Canada thinking of saying YES to an adventure & lifestyle change. Thank you
That was $ 800/sq meter. You got screwed. That thing can be built for 400-500/m $40 a sq ft or so. at $80-$100 we're talking granite ,cedar-guanacaste-teak. Miami level stuff.
We paid about $88/square foot. It was roughly $180,000 for the entire home to be built ☺ A good FYI is that prices of materials have skyrocketed here in the last year (wood, steel, concrete, etc).
@@thejoyfuljohnsons steel yes. concrete rock, wood,cement,plastics(made here) are not much higher than they were in 2007-8-9. Transportation of them (from the central hellhole to the real CR is a kick in the teeth tho). OTOH if your buying EPA, El Lagar,Colono and other nonsense you pay what you pay. I won't set foot in any of them
Hi there! The builder we used actually abandoned the project before completing our home, he took the last payment then fled the country 😅 So you know who NOT to use, his name was Phil VanBuren, but I don't think he is in Costa Rica any longer (good thing).
Did you get financing for your house or was it done cash? If you don’t mind me asking . We’ve looked many different times but not sure about the financial end. There’s a lot of moving costs associated too. Did you sell everything & restart or bring your house stuff?
Hej folks, thhanks for your video. I'm from Denmark, but I wanna move to a Costa Rica end live in some kind of a Eco-community.. Can anybody help me finding some? 🌍♥
hi! The cost of the floor plan was included in the price listed on the video. The architect gave us some floor plans to choose from, we made a few small changes and voila - our house!
I live in San Jose and I do not like the taste of water from the tap. But, my husband loves it (he is Tico and raised on this water). I had to buy a water dispenser and I get the the 5 gal jugs of water every week, it's cheaper than buying the gallon jugs in the long run.
Thanks for info! We are currently planning a build in Tamarindo area and are looking for a builder. Do you have the details for the builder you used please? Thanks
Hi there! Our builder actually abandoned our project, taking the money and not completing the last part of the build 🙃 If you send me an email @ thejoyfuljohnsons@gmail.com I can share privately who NOT to use. This apparently is a common problem here, particularly with builders who are from Canada or the United States.
@@thejoyfuljohnsons Hi there I’m interested to know more about the transformer. We need one to get electricity to our home, but have received really high quotes well over 10k. Would you be willing to share quotes that you received?
@@kairocourts3040 Hi! Oof, over 10K is steep. What area are you located in? We purchased ours around the time of January 2022, it was the larger transformer and we got it from Coopeguanacaste. I want to say it was between 5-7K but I don't remember the exact amount.
Hi there! It all depends on the area you are building in. So far I have not met an honest one 😝 but I am sure that they must exist somewhere. What's your idea for a next video?
I don't have a builder to recommend, but I can recommend a reputable architect Fanny Erfling. She is located in Junquillal in the shopping center next to the supermarket.
Blessings ,,, nobody is foreigner here ,, we are living in the earth 🌎..be happy❤
Thank you so much for sharing. Wish you guys the best there. I lived near Brasilito in 2021. Back in Canada, but my heart is still there!
Great information. I’m a CR resident currently living in Naples, Florida with my Tica wife and planning the move next year. Your channel is very helpful. Blessings
I'm engaged to a Tica and about to move to CR too
I was waiting for the grand total 😂😂 I guess I have to do the math 😆
Living the dream! Thanks for the video. I hope to move to the Guanacaste area soon with my fam.
Pura. Uida
a lot of families in costa rica children love costa rica ready whenever you are
Great video! As my wife and I are approaching retirement Costa Rica is on our radar. I'm planning an exploratory trip to Tamarindo area (probably in a quieter outlying area, still researching) within the next year, and the info you presented here is very helpful. Thank you!
congrats on the build!
Pura. Vida
Es una casa muy bonita. Felicidades ❤️
Clado, muy bonita
Thank for sharing ! Your house looks beautiful. It is exciting to see others achieve their dreams.My wife and I just purchased a house in Playa Carrillio at times we wished we had built maybe our next house
Thanks so much for your lovely comment! Congrats on your new place in Playa Carrillio - I have not been there before, where in Costa Rica is that located?
@@thejoyfuljohnsons
Playa Carrillio is close to Samara beautiful area with stunning beach you should visit!
House is very nice. I turned my nose up when you said the wood canbets were teal. Then saw it and said wow.
Congrats. Your house looks beautiful.
Great video! Regarding water, make sure you have a REGISTERED water source for the land you're buying. Just having water is not enough and could lead to significant delays as approving a water source is most definitely not guaranteed and can take a year or longer.:)
Congratulations on the Video and welcome to this your home. Pure Life!.🇨🇷🕊
Very interesting videos, positive and instructive! Please can you share the brand name of your composite roof.
Love your house in my CR
Gracias 😀 We love this beautiful country and are so happy to be a part of it!
Thank you and many blessing!
I'm new to the channel. Thanks for sharing all the valuable info! I have to find videos on how it is living here with 2 small children. We have 7 year old twins, so that gives my wife hesitation on moving here.
I'm so glad you found our channel! I understand the hesitation, we did also. It's now been three years and we don't regret the move a bit. Our kids are healthy and thriving!
Pura vida Family great video and topic too I hope you can built your dream house .pura vida take care
Thank you for the great video
Can you share the architecture company name?
Thank you 🙌
Great video,congratulations and enjoy 🏄🏻♂️🐬🌴🌊❤️
Hola saludos desde San Ramón de Alajuela costa Rica,este es tu país✌🇨🇷☔
Gracias! 😄😄
@@thejoyfuljohnsons buenas noches y vengan a este su país🇨🇷👍
Muchas gracias por la información, cuál fue el costo de la propiedad?
Pura vida omg I moved to Costa Rica September 2021 I love it here my husband and I are looking to build a house as well but idk where to start!! Lol
First step is to find an area of Costa Rica that you love, rent there for a while, then look for land 😀
Start with a foundation 😂
Wonderful video - I'm curious about how your walls were made - concrete, stucco? do you have insulation in the walls? Did you install medium grade windows? Do you get mold in your lower cabinets - I see that they are closed.
Thanks for watching! We have rebar structure with concrete blocks. Yes, we have insulation. It's necessary because I am a musician/teacher and the rains get too loud with a metal roof/no insulation. We do not have problems with mold! We do not run the A/C all the time, but sometimes. We also keep fans running always and clean out cabinets etc every few months with a diluted vinegar solution. NO mold problems in over a year in this home!
How far are you away from the beach? Is coat of living cheaper? How much is weekly grocery,?monthly electricity /internet?? Enjoy your Pura Vida!! Love lots from Philippines
Cost is always more than you worried it would cost over your largest estimate
Love your home, I'd love to pick your brain on the transition there. We're a family of 7.
I'd be happy to chat with you! We have lived here almost 2 years and our kiddos are now 5, 5 and 7 years old. It was a great move for our family.
Hi and great video since I’m coming down soon to look at a lot for sale in Tambor beach and will have to build myself if I buy the lot. My question is did you get title to the land or are you far enough of the water and was not an issue? Thanks and enjoy your life there.
Hi there! Yes, our property is deeded and titled (not concession property).
Hey there, love your videos! I’m currently in Lake Arenal and moving back to the Caribbean side at their end of the month. I do love your area, we spent 2 weeks there a few years ago. I’m in the process now in looking for a builder, I didn’t see your listed. Could you please share with me.. also I’m on my way to look at your chicken video, do you find that way bring snakes yo your yard at all, I want some chickens as well but someone had told me that.. I love how REAL your videos are, and so many things you say I’m like yup yup and yup! Can you also mention how many square meters your Proberty is, the property we are about to purchase is only 800 SM2 but yours looks double that.. it’s all so awesome.ty so much for sharing. By the way, I’m from Las Vegas and have been traveling here for about 8 years and moved to Puerto Viejo in 2020 but went back to the states when the world shut down.. now we’re back for good, I appreciate all of your advice. Thank you
i wonder if the tiles wouldn't get too hot when the sun is pelting on these all day - can you walk on them
Our patio is pretty shaded and doesn't get direct sun - so it's a-ok temperature wise 😀
Hello neighbors!
Love the house, we are looking to move and build in Costa Rica and we want close to the beach as well. How much did you pay for land? Is there more land available there? Would you recommend your builder?
Life for Life hostel near Drake is going to be up for sale. Ask Ricardo for details, Right on the ocean but remote
did you mention how much it cost all together??
I like more recent information about building home in Costa Rica a ranch 3 to 5 bedroom home
Our home was built almost 2 years ago, so I don't have any up to date information -- prices change frequently due to materials!
How long for your plans to be approved before you can begin construction.
Hi! Thank you for sharing this video. We are thinking of building a vacation property in CR. How much did you pay for the purchase of your land? What part of Texas are you from? We are in Dallas. :)
Hi there! Our entire land (just over an acre) was around $90,000 USD. It is deeded, titled, 300 meters from the ocean and has fiber optic internet /water/electric connections. I'm originally from Plano, but lived in Granbury and Cleburne just south of Fort Worth for a while 😃
Nice home, ❤ honest question what about your children education? Im just reaching at this point.
Would love more info on the build. Was it concrete or light steel frame? How you chose your build choice, did final cost include gates? Pool? Landscaping?
Concrete! Final cost did not include gates, pool or landscaping. Just the completed home.
No kidding! We saw ALOT of fails, homes that were started and left abandoned. It was frankly sad. I’m thinking the government needs to step up and say the owners need to at least have full 100% builder plans & the $ to do it. People run out of money all the time too.
It's so widespread here for people to have problems building, it really is sad.
@@thejoyfuljohnsons Another example is the ideology attorney's want to be paid before they work. Does not work well either. In Cali as a contractor charge for materials when they arrive. Now you have to dicker with labor cost. Is that sharks i see circling around....?
Hi, can you tell me the name of the insulation used. Also is it a shiny sheet ? Thanks
It is the pink type of insulation similar to what is used in most homes in the United States. For our roof there is a shiny metal sheet but also the composite tiles on top! Using ONLY the metal sheet roof here makes for an insanely loud rainy season and the roof material does not last very long.
Could you please share the company for your composite roof?
Hi there! Is there a way we can connect so I am able to ask a few questions? Family of 3 in Canada thinking of saying YES to an adventure & lifestyle change.
Thank you
Please make clear the mistake saying $88 per sq meter instead of $88 per square foot. Big difference.
I made a note of this in the video description after I posted it - because I cannot edit the video after it is posted here. Thanks!
That was $ 800/sq meter. You got screwed. That thing can be built for 400-500/m $40 a sq ft or so. at $80-$100 we're talking granite ,cedar-guanacaste-teak. Miami level stuff.
We paid about $88/square foot. It was roughly $180,000 for the entire home to be built ☺ A good FYI is that prices of materials have skyrocketed here in the last year (wood, steel, concrete, etc).
Thank you for the information 👌👌🇨🇷🇺🇸
@@thejoyfuljohnsons steel yes. concrete rock, wood,cement,plastics(made here) are not much higher than they were in 2007-8-9. Transportation of them (from the central hellhole to the real CR is a kick in the teeth tho). OTOH if your buying EPA, El Lagar,Colono and other nonsense you pay what you pay. I won't set foot in any of them
Basically, whatever you go you need tons of money . I’m sure the locals don’t have that type of money.
Depends who you go through.. and location… if your from the outside and go through those channels then of course you pay more. Hint hint, nudge nudge.
Ok im moving
How much did it cost to prep the land n foundation??
so how much was it
Could you please share your builder's information? I don't see it in the description. Thank you! :)
Hi there! The builder we used actually abandoned the project before completing our home, he took the last payment then fled the country 😅 So you know who NOT to use, his name was Phil VanBuren, but I don't think he is in Costa Rica any longer (good thing).
@@thejoyfuljohnsons Seems this is the standard. What Costa Rica considers good business is not.
Did you get financing for your house or was it done cash? If you don’t mind me asking . We’ve looked many different times but not sure about the financial end. There’s a lot of moving costs associated too. Did you sell everything & restart or bring your house stuff?
We did not get financing, we paid cash.
What part of Costa Rica do u live?
Bienvenidos el mejor de los exitos en el nuevo hogar
Hej folks, thhanks for your video. I'm from Denmark, but I wanna move to a Costa Rica end live in some kind of a Eco-community.. Can anybody help me finding some? 🌍♥
did you purchase a pre- made floor plan?
hi! The cost of the floor plan was included in the price listed on the video. The architect gave us some floor plans to choose from, we made a few small changes and voila - our house!
@@thejoyfuljohnsons thank you.
Whats the water taste like ? I lived in Alaska and the water tasted so good out of the tap.
I live in San Jose and I do not like the taste of water from the tap. But, my husband loves it (he is Tico and raised on this water). I had to buy a water dispenser and I get the the 5 gal jugs of water every week, it's cheaper than buying the gallon jugs in the long run.
Thanks for info! We are currently planning a build in Tamarindo area and are looking for a builder. Do you have the details for the builder you used please? Thanks
Hi there! Our builder actually abandoned our project, taking the money and not completing the last part of the build 🙃 If you send me an email @ thejoyfuljohnsons@gmail.com I can share privately who NOT to use. This apparently is a common problem here, particularly with builders who are from Canada or the United States.
@@thejoyfuljohnsons Sorry to hear that. I have sent you a email, thanks!
Did I miss the builders info in the description??
She said the builder abandon the project so it is above but not recommended.
Who is your builder?
Hello. Any suggestions for transportation from Liberia airport to Junquillal Las Ventanas Villas 02/26/2022
Check with TPV Tours : www.tpvcostarica.com
Nice glasses…
What is the material for your roof? Did you hire an architect to design your home?
It's a composite material - super sound proof tiles and should last 50 years at least! Yes, we had an architect to design the house 😄
@@thejoyfuljohnsons i just posted something along the lines of floor plans, but how much was the architect cost for the designing?
@@thejoyfuljohnsons Hi there I’m interested to know more about the transformer. We need one to get electricity to our home, but have received really high quotes well over 10k. Would you be willing to share quotes that you received?
@@kairocourts3040 Hi! Oof, over 10K is steep. What area are you located in? We purchased ours around the time of January 2022, it was the larger transformer and we got it from Coopeguanacaste. I want to say it was between 5-7K but I don't remember the exact amount.
Hi. Can you give us contact for builder? Also I have idea for next video for you.
Hi there! It all depends on the area you are building in. So far I have not met an honest one 😝 but I am sure that they must exist somewhere. What's your idea for a next video?
Hey was it 88 per square foot or square meter?
Per square foot! I made a note in the video description as I caught the mistake after I already published the video 🤣
How far are you from Montezuma?
Around 3.5 hours, give or take!
Do you have a builder you recommend!
I don't have a builder to recommend, but I can recommend a reputable architect Fanny Erfling. She is located in Junquillal in the shopping center next to the supermarket.
New travellers to CR. Need lead for transportation from Liberia Airport to Junquillal area. Leaving March4 2022. Thank You
Try a tent first
Dont Call in pleople to nuestro País
Blessings ,,, nobody is foreigner here ,, we are living in the earth 🌎..be happy❤
And you know how to become a millionaire in Costa Rica? Bring 2 million.