Finding Your Home In Costa Rica – Buyer Beware

You should try finding your home in Costa Rica if you are an ardent admirer and worshipper of nature. If you like to be awakened with the softness of the breeze caressing your face or if you like to just lie down on the shore with moonlight for company, then, you should look for buying your dream home in the Central American country, Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is country in Central America. It is one of the most beautiful places on the face of Earth. This name Costa Rica means “Rich Coast”. This country is located in the isthmus in Central America between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Hence, it has a rich, lush green coastline and is aptly called Costa Rica.

The lure of the lovely coastline and lush greenery is tough for anyone to resist. Hence, a lot of non Costa Ricans dream of finding their home in this country. An added advantage is also the climate which is mild and temperate throughout the year which makes living here a pleasure. The prices of houses here are also not very high. However, people who intend to find their home in this place should be cautious since there are chances of getting duped at times. In this article, we mention a few aspects to keep in mind while buying a house in Costa Rica.

A lot of families in Costa Rica have occupied certain properties for many generations without actually knowing who the rightful owners of the properties are. Such properties are also not clearly registered in the property registry of the country. Hence, while finding your home in Costa Rica, you have to ensure before hand that the property you are interested in does have a specific owner.

The people of Costa Rica speak Spanish. Not many of the locals are conversant in English. Hence, it is beneficial to know the language. Also, knowledge of the local laws and procedures is important in order to avoid any hassles while buying your house. If you are do not know the language well or are not aware of the laws and procedures, then, you should take help of a native of Costa Rica to help you buy the property.

Many homes in Costa Rica have been built years ago. And most of them have not been maintained very well. The owners who are interested in selling their properties just dab a fresh coat of paint in order to lure customers. It is always better to verify the age of the house properly before buying it. Also, make sure that the wood of the doors and stairways are not rotten in cases of houses that are years old.

If you have fallen in love with a house that was built long ago and want to purchase it, there is one more check that you will need to do before signing the deal. Request for a hydrostatic test to be done on the property in order to ensure that the sewage pipes are in order and there has been no damage caused to them.

Finally, very important point to bear in mind, if you are a foreigner in Costa Rica who is interested in buying property, is to ensure that you engage the services of a local who can get you good rates on the properties. This is because, in Costa Rica, people quote a lower amount to locals who are interested in purchasing the property and a higher amount to a foreigner who is finding a home in Costa Rica.