villas and houses construction guide in the dominican

Transcription

Golden Treasures Real Estate
The trusted source for Dominican Republic villas
VILLAS AND HOUSES
CONSTRUCTION GUIDE IN THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC`S NORTH
COAST – SOSUA AND CABARETE
A must read for local and foreign investors
Edward Rivas
2010-2011
[VILLAS AND HOUSES CONSTRUCTION GUIDE IN THE DOMINICAN
November 13, 2010 REPUBLIC`S NORTH COAST – SOSUA AND CABARETE]
GLOSSARY
1.1 …………………………………….INTRODUCTION.
1.2 …………………………………….BUILDING MATERIALS AND COSTS
1.3 …………………………………….FUMIGATION
1.4 …………………………………….LAND & LAYOUTS
1.5 …………………………………….MAIN ISSUES TO AVOID
1.6 …………………………………….BUILDING A HOUSE BASICS
1.7 …………………………………….OCEANFRONT VS. OCEANVIEWS
1.8 …………………………………….SWIMMING POOLS
1.9 …………………………………….BEACHFRONT VILLAS
1.10 ………………………………….SECURITY
1.11 ………………………………….WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY HOUSES
1.12 ………………………………….CONSTRUCTION FIRMS
Page 2
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Investing in real estate can be one of the most profitable business in the Caribbean island of Dominican
Republic, something that many investors already know and has boosted this island`s economy in the past 15
years. Many residential villas and condo projects have been undertaken in once resort-only areas such as the
North and East coast, with a more intensive level in the Northern coast cities of Sosua, Cabarete, Cofresi, and
lately Cabrera.
Local builders offer high end and standard level finish materials and structures, and promote the projects
using model units furnished for all to see the end product before the entire project is finished. This allows the
investor to have a clear glimpse at the finished product, and in some cases ( George Coutu, Juan Perdomo,
Hispaniola, HABI ) people come to trust the developer and later on buy from the renderings even before the
first block is set on the land.
Buying what`s already done is a safe way to invest, but what happens when you want to make the most of the
investment and decide to build yourself? A lot of people don`t realize that there are basic rules in order to
invest in construction and get the money back as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
The decision of buying a piece of land and building a villa or home from scratch involves a lot of variables that
affect the end product, and this is the reason behind so many properties not being sold for long, affecting their
final price too. One common practice is to bypass the use of an engineer and instead rely directly on the
maestro (self-taught, empirical engineer) which many times lead to poor quality construction.
Another factor that leads to poor sales is the fact that many people build properties without considering what
really makes it attractive for the buyer; as one example, having a large house with a disproportionally small
kitchen will certainly not appeal to buyers, just to mention one example. We will analyze some ideas in the
pages of this document that might help those who want to invest building villas in the Dominican Republic,
also condos.
Dominican Republic villas are a major sales product of the international real estate market, especially those
built around the North coastal areas of the long beach and ocean front stretch spanning the towns of Cofresi,
Costambar, Puerto Plata, Sosua, Cabarete, Rio San Juan and Cabrera.
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1.2 BUILDING MATERIALS AND COSTS
The cost of constructing in the Dominican Republic will fluctuate based on the finish materials and type of
construction you want to build. The average cost is $600.00 per square meter for good quality construction,
which might include the usage of these materials:
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Mahogany wood cabinets, doors and closets
Imported Ceramic for floors and bathroom
Imported bathroom fixtures
Red clay tile for the rooftops
French-type Sliding glass windows
Luxury villas and houses in Sosua and several beach condos for sale in Cabarete carry a much higher price tag
in the cost per m2, because the builders used far more expensive materials. The clear advantage is the long
lasting effect on the investment, especially when you are building close to the beach or the ocean.
Some people build with cheap materials expecting to save a lot, and later expect a realtor to sell their villa or
condo for the price of a much higher investment. This not only delays the sale, but it also erodes the credibility
of the builder within the business environment he deals with.
The best way to handle a shortage of budget is to be creative. Many good builders know how to effectively
match low priced materials and yet create excellent works of art that look better than many high budget
projects that were poorly designed.
Leaving all the details in the hands of someone else only works if you are working with a reputable
construction firm that can show a clean record you can verify in person. If you have no experience dealing
with construction but still take over a project yourself, you better find someone who has done it before
successfully and try to hire their advice.
Doing otherwise will only add another poorly constructed villa, house or condo to the community, which in
turn affects the overall value of the area. Still, with a budget of around US$500.00 there are builders that will
construct a decent home, though the land costs will add to the budget too.
Page 4
1.3 FUMIGATION
One of the most annoying issues home owners have to deal with is termites. Bypassing effective fumigation in
the various stages of early construction is one of the most devastating, seriously damaging effects that affect a
lot of houses. Even so, a lot of people who build on their own tend to forget or just ignore this fact. 90% of
termite infested houses were built by individuals who were not trained in construction.
Fixing a termite affected house when it is already finished can cost more than avoiding the issue from the very
beginning. The foundation of the construction should be fumigated several times during the process to ensure
that no termite nest can be left in between, above, or below. If termites later crawl from neighboring trees,
that will be easily removed and will not affect the structure of the villa or condo.
It is such a basic piece of advice that clearly should be followed, but one that has a lot of homes sitting empty
in the horizon because no one wants to buy a home with termites, much less pay the cost of digging the
foundation throughout the house to inject pesticide and try to get results in the long term.
Dominican Republic villas for sale are 100% free of termites in the case of luxury properties, because those
were built by professional building companies, and 80% in the case of small budget homes due to poor
construction practices. It is imperative that whoever builds a house, villa or condo has in mind the devastating
effect termites will have if ignored from the early stages of foundation laying.
Page 5
1.4 LAND AND LAYOUTS
As important as a good villa or house design is, we should pay attention to the land and layout configuration
when selecting where to build. Even if you are building for yourself today, you are really building for someone
else that will buy from you in the years to come. If the land and the layout plan is not adequate, so will your
chances of selling the property when you want to.
Most of the issues to pay attention to regarding land and layout:
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Small lots with not enough frontages, lack of private buffer zone.
Building too close to the street, leaving all the extra space for the back
Leaving too little sidewalk space, or worse, none at all
Buying a lot with a narrow passage entrance, no front space
Leaving no parking space for the house in the land
Building a house covering 100% of the land, leaving no garden areas
Building too close to neighboring lots, leaving no privacy buffer zone
Lots at the bottom of a slope that become a headache when it rains
THE ARCHITECTURAL LAYOUT DONTS:
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Impossibly small kitchens
Narrow, small windows that allow little light to enter
Narrow doorways that limit size of furniture passage
Small master bedrooms
Too little, narrow bathrooms
Light switches behind doors that open inwards
Visitors bathroom below stairs with WC at the end
Bathrooms with poor ventilation
Kitchens without air extractors
Narrow winding stairs
Lack of water reservoir construction in the planning
More than 2 doors between master suite, walk in closet and master bathroom
Poorly lit kitchens with tiny windows that allow no light from daylight
Page 6
1.5 CRACKS, MOISTURE AND FOUNDATION
When visiting a house or villa for sale with a prospective client, the first thing we look for in a house is the
appearance of cracks and moisture on the walls and ceilings, which is a clear evidence of the quality of such
construction. The foundation of the building is one of the most important aspects because if the foundation is
poorly built, the whole structure suffers (especially when the earth
shakes) leaving the structure affected visually and structurally.
Depending on weather and other conditions, most homes around
150 m2 of construction should take no less than 7 months in the
making, because if built too fast there will be insufficient time to let
the cement and structure dry to its optimum, this being more critical
when adding the tops. Such lack of vision later turns into cracks and
humidity that stains and damages the structure in the short and long
term.
This causes that many homes get repainting every 2-3 months because the paint is directly affected and once
a buyer sees a house or villa in such condition, the sale is diverted to other properties. About 30% of homes
built by individuals become affected by cracks and moisture, due to poor planning and lack of experience in
the field.
As much as you paint and take care of the walls and each area of the house, eventually the moisture, eternal
enemy of households, lurks behind the beds, ceiling or bathroom. The walls get cracked, paint discolors and
the house takes on a sense of darkness and abandonment. The humidity control in homes is a complicated
task because it appears gradually. Thanks to the fact that it focuses on specific areas, you need to fix only the
affected part of the wall instead of doing work around the house.
Moisture in the long run damages the beams, destroying drywall, wood doors warp and rusts cabinets and
metal frames. The causes of their emergence are multiple, but the most common are leaks. However, it may
occur in closed environments where there are large water condensation or kitchen sink, and result in the
creation of fungi that attack can reach shower curtains, wood furniture and cabinets.
It is very important that a qualified professional be present when laying a foundation and the roof, not to
mention that a faulty pipe installation can also be a major disaster for any villa in the short or long term. First
of all it is better to have a realistic budget and to set up a design to follow with the help of experienced staff.
Most Dominican Republic villas in fine neighborhoods were built by well known engineers and thus retain a
high resale value and are considered a good investment.
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1.6 BUILDING A HOUSE BASICS
The first step, once we have with the land, plans and building permits is the excavation of the foundation, also getting a
backhoe and a dump truck that you can rent by the day.
The topography of this land is sloping so the foundation is
done in steps to save this terrain. In this case, the land was
deposited on the top of the plot that later will become like
the garden. The minimum depth of the foundation was 60
cm.
When we finish with the excavation, we add the clean
concrete, about 10 cm. thick. This makes the working
surface where the wrought iron will be placed be clean to
work with.
Then you need to put rods and stirrups area, better if they
are bent. These are placed perpendicular to the rods (you
can see in the picture), keeping them together and
preventing the foundation from cracking.
The floor slab was lifted with concrete dividers of 10 cm. That keeps the iron
away from the bottom so when pouring concrete it stays together, once the
surveyor has approved the work. In this house we used a soft mortar of 250
kg per cm2 mixed with gravel of 20 mm.
Once the foundation is finished, you can start building the wall that will hold the floor of the ground floor of the house.
The wall is 30 cm. wide and from it comes the basement, because of the soil being with a small inclination, we could not
work directly on the foundation. On the walls were made holes where were introduced PVC tubes (seen in photo) to
aerate the area where it is covered by the slab. To create the ladder, the bottom of the foundation we get some rods
known as "start of the stairs", which will leave the iron to form the structure.
Once the pillar rods are installed, beams are placed. They have to be ordered prior to the desired size, so we serve them
cut and ready for use. Between rafters are the arches, in our concrete case, since the weight was not a problem and are
more economical. Be hollow, but closed at the ends. On the market those can be found as well, so that the concrete
does not seep into the ground floor at the time of concrete placing.
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At this time it is the moment of establishing the perimeter of
the house with bands of straw on the beams. The drains are
attached below the floor and installing the pipes (in red in
the picture) through which electrical current cables flow and
the phone lines. The corners of the perimeter are
overlapping with 'L' of the same material.
The beams reach the hoop so that is secure, but between the
slabs and the perimeter is denim. On the beams, leaving the
perimeter, are placed negative rods that prevent yield at the time they load. The placement of blocks is common in the
Dominican Republic houses, so line after line will be placed with specially bound rods to sustain the structure.
Floors and Walls
There is variety of building systems for the manufacture of floors, but most usual we can speak of concrete, wood, steel
etc., the selection of these depends on your home construction process, materials of the region or builder`s preferences.
Just as there are various systems for villa and house floors, it is also for walls or fences, although this involves other
aspects such as isolation from the outside, physical appearance, strength, weight, etc.
Roofs, Windows and Doors
Another important part of your house is the ceiling, since it is an integral part of structure of the house and covers and
protects from the weather. It is very important to have certain considerations to the exterior finish, as it will remain like
that for a long time. Windows and doors are the elements that allow us to have communication with the outside, so
during its selection should always keep in mind the safety of occupants within, or in the case of a possible accident.
The Final Touch
The finishes are certainly elements of your home that will give the finishing personal touch and characterize it from
other buildings. Here the most important thing is to take into account the functionality and taste, and not always the
most expensive is the most beautiful; a good decoration can give a distinctive and exclusive appearance. The application
of colors, textures and lighting will be create special and comfortable environments.
This whole process might seem simple to some people but in reality there are many variables involved that will require
the knowhow and experience of skilled engineers and builders to make it crack and moisture free, also a good architect
to design it in a way that can be sold when you need to sell it. We have seen many villas and houses for sale in Cabarete,
Puerto Plata, Sosua and other areas of the Dominican Republic`s North coast that are neglected by the buyers simply
because the poor construction is so obvious, no one will ever buy those properties.
Page 9
1.7 OCEANFRONT VS. OCEAN VIEWS
For most people traveling to buy property in the Dominican Republic`s North coast, the dream of owning a
beach or oceanfront property is ever present, and so we get more inquiries for oceanfront properties than we
do for garden areas or ocean views. The reality about oceanfront is that while it is more romantic and even
healthier, the fact that the sea is so close will have a financial impact on the owner in the short term.
Maintenance of oceanfront villas is high, and the coastal cities of Sosua and Cabarete can`t escape that reality.
This example shows an oceanfront villa that was affected by heavy waves crashing in the ocean shore. While
this is not the case each year, it can happen so you need to have a budget set aside for contingencies like this,
or buy insurance. The wood needs to be repainted 4 times per year, minimum. If you buy it to rent as a
vacation villa, money will be generated from the same property. Ocean view can be one of the best
alternatives if you have a limited budget or simply don`t want the salt spray being an issue each day. There are
faux wood and other plastic based materials that can be maintenance-free and make your life easier when you
build so close to the ocean. Several property management companies in Sosua and Cabarete can handle the
work so you can live stress free and enjoy your villa in the Dominican Republic.
Page 10
1.8 SWIMMING POOLS
One of the aspects that can make a Caribbean villa more or less attractive to friends and family is the
swimming pool, in the past people would judge it by the sheer size but now there are other considerations to
take. Large swimming pools are clearly a maintenance headache, not to mention the high energy bills. A
medium sized swimming pool with the proper height to handle both swimmers and not swimmers is a must if
you plan to design with a future sale in mind.
This swimming pool shown here comes from a villa for sale in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, which can be
seen online at the Golden Treasures Real Estate website. The size of it is pleasant for all ages and it doesn`t eat
up a lot of energy like huge swimming pools. Unless your budget is flexible, you should consider a midsized
swimming pool in order to make it more attractive for future buyers of your villa.
There are many online sources for swimming pool design where you can get appropriate diagrams regarding
design and includes proper depths, sizes, spas, gazebos, pergolas and several other useful tips. One of such
places is http://www.fetch-a-sketch.com where you can get excellent ideas regarding swimming pool designs.
Real estate websites displaying villa listings for sale and rent are also a very good source of information, not
necessarily intended for design purposed but good for finding many varied styles of pools built in very
exclusive villas and houses across the Northern Dominican Republic.
Page 11
1.9 BEACHFRONT VILLAS
Building beachfront villas involve expensive land, so it is fair to assume that budget flexibility is not an issue.
One of the main considerations when building a beach villa is the effect of salt sodium on the house; meaning
that you`d need to use special finish materials and
techniques in order to achieve a long lasting effect
on the property.
Specially treated wood, faux wood and a large
variety of roof tiles are being used for luxury
beach houses in the Sosua and Cabarete area for a
long time. Round river stones and coral stone
have also played a big role in the making of many
villas, even in the Punta Cana area.
Recently, many projects are using stainless steel
bars like the one in the photo, hard to see in the
past because sodium from the ocean is constantly
hitting the structure and it builds up a lot of
corrosive bacteria that causes metal to rust as we all know. Other than the maintenance costs and land costs
for beach front villas in the Dominican Republic, the mere fact of owning such a property brings a lot of joy to
the end user. Because most beachfront houses are being built by qualified professionals, there is almost none
in bad condition along the North coast.
Some illustrative photos of beach front villas in the Sosua and Cabarete area:
Page 12
1.10 SECURITY
Most gated communities in the North coast of the Dominican Republic offer good security, which cost is
already included in the HOA fees. Buying a lot in the middle of nowhere requires that you employ the services
of a private watchman, because one day someone might target your villa the same way it could happen
anywhere else in the world.
Installing an alarm system is a very useful way to have peace of mind, even in well guarded areas. We always
recommend that you choose to buy land in a gated community that includes 24hr security because it ensures
that you will be guarded at all times, also an alarm system as backup. Areas in Sosua such as La Mulata and
Cerro Alto require a higher degree of security, also areas such as Costa Azul and Lomas Mironas.
Hispaniola Residential, Perla Marina, Sea Horse Ranch, Panorama Village, Casa Linda, Haciendas El Choco and
Hideaway Beach are among the gated communities that include security personnel in the HOA fees. The
average cost for home owners association fees are $140.00/month in Lomas Mironas, $241.00 in Casa Linda
and $250.00 in Hispaniola. Sea Horse Ranch is much higher due to the luxury villa community.
Page 13
1.11 WHEELCHAIR AND ELDERLY FRIENDLY HOUSES AND VILLAS
Most people enjoy spacious, ample houses. Not just the ones with high ceilings and huge living rooms, but the
ones that provide wide clearance in the thresholds. This not only benefits the able bodied people, but the
disabled as well. Wheelchair users, or families with wheelchair users also buy houses and villas, and this
means that if you build a home with this in mind, you end up enjoying wider doors and ample spaces and at
the same time you make the property easier to sell by including a wider segment of the real estate market.
The universal access act in the USA requires that houses be built with at least one barrier free access to the
house, call it a platform from the garage or entryway. There are many other specifications to make a house
truly wheelchair friendly, but the most important one is the structural, because the add-ons can be installed
later if a wheelchair user buys the villa.
By structural we mean certain details of the construction such as wider thresholds between living areas,
having lowered window heights so a person from a sitting position can see to the outside (some elegant
windows are just like that); the usage of sliding doors in the cabinets, recessed sliding door tracks, a large
turning radius for wheelchair use in all the living areas and lowered cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms.
By having these details in mind, a house you build for yourself could be sold to anyone else very quickly later
on in time, because most people like to have the comfort that is usually given to disabled persons, which can
also make your life easier to adapt when you come of age. Golden Treasures is as of this writing the only real
estate company that designs and builds barrier-free houses and villas in the Dominican Republic. Hard to
believe considering that this is a very large market worldwide.
Page 14
1.12 CONSTRUCTION FIRMS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
After visiting and evaluating hundreds if not thousands of properties for so many years, anyone can come to
the conclusion that there are a few really good builders and construction firms in the North coast of the
Dominican Republic. By visiting the houses and projects built by local engineers one can have a clear view of
the professionalism and dedication to quality that some of the local builders have.
Some of the best names we`ve worked with or know very well are Constructora Nazario, based in Puerto
Plata. Heriberto Polanco, also from Puerto Plata; Eris Espinal, based in Sosua; Michel Lulo, based in Sosua;
Constructora Haché, based in Sosua; Werner Renck, based in Sosua; Eric Sandmael, based in Sosua; and Rafael
Bautista based in Puerto Plata. The easiest way to find out if the builder is good is to just visit some of the
properties built by the developer and see for yourself if the work was good or not.
Sergio Escarfullery and Sarah Garcia are the two names that come up when speaking of luxury villas, since they
have built a lot of the luxury ones in places such as Sea Horse Ranch and El Choco. Their fees will be
proportional to the budget of the property, so expect them to be expensive but will deliver nothing but the
best in high end terms. Investing in the luxury villa market is a constant in Sosua and Cabarete, also in other
neighboring places such as Cofresi and Cabrera.
Golden Treasures real estate has a good relationship with some of the best engineers, architects and
developers in the Dominican Republic, and its consulting division works with only the top rated companies.
This guide is intended for people who want to invest in real estate but need to know a bit more in simple
terms about the process of building a house or villa; we stress the fact that it is better to let a professional
company handle the construction in order to achieve a high quality product for the community.
Page 15
This construction guide seen from the perspective of a realtor is a quick reference that will help some people
either change their minds about building on their own or just get the facts to avoid poorly built homes and
villas from entering the real estate market.
USEFUL LINKS RELATED TO HOME CONSTRUCTION:
http://www.build-home-building-house.com
http://www.house-n-home-building.com
http://www.finehomebuilding.com
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC VILLAS AND HOUSES FOR SALE:
www.goldenkeymanagement.com
About the Author:
Edward Rivas is the sales manager for Golden Treasures Real Estate, which is a real estate agency based in Sosua,
Dominican Republic. The company also does vacation rentals of luxury villas and specializes in the Luxury Ocean and
beachfront villa market. With one of the largest stock of high quality houses for sale in Puerto Plata, the company
covers the smaller towns of Sosua, Cabarete, Cofresi, Costambar and Cabrera.
Page 16

villas and houses construction guide in the dominican

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