BUILDING A HOUSE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ONE MANS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Trevor, and I have decided to build a house, and to live, in the Dominican Republic.
I have lived in London, in the United Kingdom, for most of my life, and now I wanted a change.
I first visited the DR in January 2005 and again in April 2005. On each visit I looked at property and land on the Island. On the second visit I went with the intention of buying into a developement In Samana in the East. I was persuaded against that course of action and bought a piece of land in a development in Sosua on the North coast. The development is called Haciendas el Choco. {referred to in future as HEC} It is 10 minutes drive from Sosua town and Sosua beach, and about 20 minutes drive from Puerta Plata international airport. It is a gated developement which consists of about 53 lots, of which about 20 are built on.
The purchase was completed in August 2005, whilst I was still in the UK. It went very smoothly.
Hacienda el Choco has a web site
www.elchoco.com
which explains itself. What I liked about it most, was that it was run as a co-operative by the property owners, and so all the service charges and other expenses are approved at the annual meeting by the owners committee, of which I am one.
It also has very good security, and a set of rules and regulations which ensure that every residents way of life is respected by all. It is regarded as one of the two best developments on the North Coast.
The plot of land I bought, was 8902m2. The rules of the development only permit one house/lot. As you can see, we are not exactly overcrowded.
Before you can start building a house , the plans of the house have to be submitted and approved by the HEC committee. The committee expects all new houses to fit in with "look" of the developement, and other rules and regulations.
Because recording music is my hobby, the committee which run the development said informally at an early stage, that I can have another structure to use as a recording studio. I intend to build the recording studio in such a way that it can easily be converted to a guest house should I wish to sell the property.
Before I came here, I looked on the internet for information on the house building process in the DR. I found none.
I hope this website can show to others in a similar position, what pitfalls they may experience, and how to avoid them.
I have deliberately not mentioned names of personalitys or specific figures for costs on this website. On occasions I have mentioned general figures, but only to illustrate a point.
The site is not a holiday journal, nor is it intended for general reading. The narative is deliberately detailed, as it is intended for people who are involved in the process, and would think it worthwhile to read all the detail.
The site is mostly being written as it happens, and so if I write "it seems" for example, it is because I donīt know. I am learning as I go along.
It wil be updated weekly with a narrative and also with pictures to illustrate what has happened that week. There will also be a monthly update on this page for those who want to a brief sumary. During the process I intend to keep meticulous records of all moneys spent and all contacts made. When all works are completed satisfactorily, I intend to offer a consultancy service on the building process. To this end, feel free to contact me if you want to make use of this service.
I feel that this service will be very valuable to others. I know what I went through in the early stages. It was like walking around blindfolded. I also have to say that most of the advise I was offered casually was alarmist, unstructured, and frankly worthless.
I should point out, that for 10 years in the UK, I worked on the periphery of the building trade in a supervisory and administrative capacity, and so I am not in any way intimidated by what lies ahead. The only drawback is that the construction of a house in the UK is very different to here.
I have never been good at spelling, and since this programme doesn't have a spell checker you will probably see some spelling mistakes. That's just the way it is. ! Also some words which are used locally aren't in any Spanish/English dictionary.
Last but not least, to add a bit of glamour and humour, and generally liven up the site, I have put the page in called "Life in the DR"
I hope you enjoy it.
Remember if you want to see larger pictures, just click on them individually.
Trevor
Conclusions on the land purchase
I am writing this section a year after I completed the land purchase. I am absolutely sure I bought in the right place.
Having been here a year now I like the developement, much more than I did when I bought it.
The project is very tranquil, and if I do want exitement, the beach and the town are only a 10 minute drive away.
As an investment, it was a good purchase also. It seems the value of the land has appreciated substantially since I bought it.
At the Anual General Meeting for the project in February 2006, we were told that all the lots have now, been sold by the original developer.
All further sales, are resales.
MONTHLY UPDATE AUGUST 2006
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
It is a requirement that house builders start by constructing facilitys for the workers [latrine and kitchen], and the cistern. So that is what I did. I then chose the position for the house and the cistern and had the area for the house cleared by a mechanical excavator.
A wooden structure, called charancha, was then built around the cleared area. The outside walls of the house were then marked out using the charancha, string, posts and sand. E
xcavations began immediately after.
The excavations were for the house foundations, the septic tank, the cistern and the swimming pool. The construction was similar for all. After excavation, varilla [steel rods] were placed flat, in the area excavated for the base. It was then concreted in.
For the house, varilla was put in the foundations. Columns of varilla were then put upright and attached to the varilla in the foundations, at changes of directions in the walls, or where walls met. They were also put where there were columns needed. When this was completed the varilla in the foundations was concreted in. After, the floor of the house was filled in, so it was level, with a local stone called calichi. . The plummer then put in all the pipes for both water and waste. Varilla was then put above this floor. The floor was then concreted over.
MONTHLY UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2006
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
After the floor was concreted over, all the walls were marked out on this concrete base, and they were built up to 5 blocks [1 metre] high. At that stage I marked out where all the windows went and the blocks were continued up to 12 blocks high. Beams were then put around all the blockwork around the house. This was done with varilla, and concreted in.
Whilst all this was going on the cistern was completed, as was the septic tank. The walls and floor to the swimming pool were completed.
The electrics started to go in. The columns to the house were concreted in.
At this stage all the earth that was excavated originally was moved back to where it was needed.
At the end of September I finally decided that I was going to construct the Recording Studio. I followed the process as with the house by choosing a position for it, clearing the land, charancha, marking out etc.
MONTHLY UPDATE OCTOBER 2006
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
The casseta bomba, cistern pump house, was built and its roof put on. The flat roof above my terrace was also completed by the same company, Hormignon Cibao.
Works for the Studio continued with the foundations being done. Calichi stone was then bought in to fill in the floor. The services were put in the stdio so it could be converted to a guest house in future if I wanted to sell it. The floor was concreted in and the walls built up to 5 blocks high. I then marked out where all the windows should go.
The final brickwork to the central part of the house began. The sides which are lower, had the shuttering built for the two roofs. Again they were concreted in by the Hormignon Company.
Works on the garden and landscaping began, by marking out the driveway and constructing a small bordering wall around it.
Rendering [panette] started to all the walls.
MONTHLY UPDATE NOVEMBER 2006
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
The living room [sala] walls were built up and the roofs to the sala, entrada and marquisina were all concreted.
The garden camino was completed. It was filled and levelled with calichi stone. The blockwork to the front wall completed. The levelling of the land continued.
The brickwork to the Estudio de Grabacion was built up to the blocks high and shuttering made for the vigas.
The rendering continues to the house, and the tilling to the roofs started.
MONTHLY UPDATE DECEMBER 2006
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
Tiling for the roof was started and completed this month.
Gramma and Trinitaria plants were put in the garden area at the front of the house.
The transformer was installed at the front of the house with its controls in the cassetta bomba.
The pannette [rendering] continues to all areas of the house and was nearly completed this month.
MONTHLY UPDATE JANUARY 2007
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
The panette [rendering] to both inside and outside the house was completed this month.
After completing the panette the big clean up started, removing all the piles of concrete that had accumulated on the floor. When that was finished the chapapote [final concrete screed] to the floor was done.
Puting the tubes on the floor for the wiring was completed this month before the chapapote.
The stone wall to the front garden was finished this month.
MONTHLY UPDATE FEBRUARY 2007
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
The front steps were done.
The wooden, Roble, doors were made by the Ebanistre, but couldn't be installed because the inside of the house wasn't completed.
Painting started in earnest.
MONTHLY UPDATE MARCH 2007
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
Painting inside house completed.
Shower walls in bathroom built.
Laying of the ceramics to the floor started.
Ground levelled at rear of house in preparation for the area around the swimming pool.
MONTHLY UPDATE APRIL 2007
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
The area around the pool at the rear was levelled and had calichi stone laid around it. The wall behind the pool, with the pool shower progressed.
The first of the aluminium windows and doors were installed.
All sanitary appliances were installed in bathrooms.
Ceramics completed.
MONTHLY UPDATE MAY 2007
[for a more detailed revue see "works commence" and "works continue" pages]
All lectrics and plumbing completed this month [exept kitchen sink]
Last of aluminium windows and doors installed.
Swimming pool shower wall completed.
Septic tank completed with efluent pipes.
Kitchen units and wooden doors fitted.
MOVED INTO HOUSE THIS MONTH
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