Here we are, at the final blog post in our series on building a home in Mexico! Today we are going to look at some of the differences to consider in the Mexican approach to construction, especially in the finishing details.
Finishing Details & Aesthetics
If an expat is working with a professional builder who is managing the whole process for them (generally recommendable for the first time around,) this should not be an issue. However, if a property owner does decide to take the approach of hiring various contractors for certain parts of the process himself (as he probably would if he takes the “investing in chunks†approach) he will have to take the final product into consideration. Whoever is completing the initial construction needs to know the final idea, plan for all details and report on any items that need attention in the case of modification. As one construction professional, Chris Rauton, says, “begin with the end in mind.â€
Also, while Mexicans usually have a much more developed taste for beauty than we northerners do, there are some finer details a contractor may not pay attention to unless you specify. For example, because of the bit-by-bit mentality mentioned yesterday, Mexicans may have a concrete counter built. While they don’t have the funds to put the tiles on immediately, they do wish to use the counter and have a sink installed. Months down the road, when they finish the counter with tiles, they simply cut and install the tiles around the sink, leaving the edge of the sink sunk below the tiles. (Normally the lip of a sink will be over the tiles! The same happens with light switch boxes & covers, etc.) Depending on who the worker is, he may not see a problem with installing and leaving things in this way if not specified otherwise.
The easiest way to deal with differences in Mexican construction is to work with a professional who will oversee the process; as said elsewhere in this series, this makes it very easy to have the process completed professionally exactly as the property owner wants, even if he is back in his home country. However, if an owner does decide to take a go at it himself, he should talk to others who have done it, get recommendations for contractors, keep in mind that unforeseen situations will arise and be prepared to be onsite regularly to check things over.
Again, the final result will be a high-quality Mexico home – much higher quality and better build than what most people see in the U.S. or Canada these days – at a better price.
I invite to read this entire blog series on construction, visit our page on building a home in Mexico or contact us if you like the idea of having the home of your dreams built in Mexico!
Andy Welbourne, from London, Ontario, has been living in Playa del Carmen and working as a part of the team with Thomas Lloyd for 7 years. He has worked with many Canadians and Americans to assist in finding their dream home in the Mexican Caribbean; many of these clients have turned into great friendships. Contact Andy at (512) 879-6546.
The TOP Mexico Real Estate Network; “Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!â€
En nuestro último post de la serie sobre proyectos de construcción (ver post 1 – ver post 2) hablaremos sobre el tercer y último paso a dar antes de comenzar a construir la casa de nuestros sueños: seleccionar a un contratista.
El contratista.
Quizás lo más difÃcil e importante a hacer. Poner en las manos adecuadas nuestro proyecto de construcción es quizá el paso más importante y en el que debemos invertir la mayor cantidad de tiempo y esfuerzo. ¿Cómo seleccionar a la persona ideal para nuestro proyecto? Es importante poder tomarse el tiempo necesario para hacer una investigación precisa de nuestras opciones. Conocer los trabajos previos de los contratistas que estemos considerando para nuestro proyecto, pedir referencias, asà como buscar testimonios de personas que ya hayan trabajado con ellos será la mejor manera de saber si el contratista es o no una persona eficaz y profesional.
La siguiente es una lista de los puntos principales que tu contratista te debe ofrecer:
- Contar con una amplia experiencia
- Debe ofrecer un servicio de trabajo completo. Este debe incluir tanto los procesos de investigación de uso de suelo, trámites y permisos pertinentes, diseños arquitectónicos, proceso de construcción hasta el último detalle, asà como los trámites para la escrituración y tÃtulos de propiedad
- Debe ofrecerte algún programa para el seguimiento de avances
- Tener excelentes referencias
Por último, si consideras cada uno de estos consejos: definir tu proyecto, establecer un presupuesto y seleccionar un contratista, tus posibilidades de éxito serán enormes. No te quedará otra que empezar a disfrutar tu casa y comenzar a vivir el sueño.
www.topmexicorealestate.com, la empresa lÃder en bienes raÃces en México.Â