{"id":276,"date":"2009-12-03T22:56:41","date_gmt":"2009-12-04T03:56:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/temp-blog\/?p=276"},"modified":"2015-05-26T23:58:58","modified_gmt":"2015-05-27T04:58:58","slug":"playa-del-carmen-real-estate-fixer-upper-part-5-choosing-suppliers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/2009\/12\/playa-del-carmen-real-estate-fixer-upper-part-5-choosing-suppliers\/","title":{"rendered":"Playa del Carmen Real Estate Fixer Upper part 5 (choosing suppliers)"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have been working in the Playa del Carmen real estate <\/a>region for several years.\u00c2\u00a0 So we have a very good feeling on which neighborhoods are developed, which real estate regions are up and coming, and which areas are losing appeal.\u00c2\u00a0 One secret of a\u00c2\u00a0good investor is having the time\u00c2\u00a0to be able to walk the streets, see the movement, smell the growth.\u00c2\u00a0 You can then have some fun trying to find a gem in the rough, an old overlooked neighborhood, or an overlooked property.\u00c2\u00a0 These can be found in all regions of the Mexico real estate<\/a> markets.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0You should have a good team on site to help with the project.\u00c2\u00a0 You will need to\u00c2\u00a0choose good suppliers of labor and of raw materials.\u00c2\u00a0 And in my particular project here in the Playa del carmen real estate region, we chose a Mexican colonial style of\u00c2\u00a0building which required items such as\u00c2\u00a0iron fences and windows, losetas, talaveras and other beautiful items to give the structure a feeling of old Colonia Coyoacan from Mexico City.\u00c2\u00a0 This is one of\u00c2\u00a0Mexico City’s oldest and most beautiful neighborhoods with\u00c2\u00a0 centuries of colonial history influence compared to\u00c2\u00a0the Playa del Carmen real estate region which has more Caribbean and Mayan flares incorporated into its’ structures.<\/p>\n

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In previous blogs about Fixer Upper in\u00c2\u00a0the TOP Mexico Real Estate blog<\/a>, \u00c2\u00a0we spoke about choosing your team to help administer\u00c2\u00a0a real estate\u00c2\u00a0fixer upper project.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0In that previous\u00c2\u00a0post, I mentioned that although you may have much experience in doing projects, it is always advisable to hire an experienced point man, Architect down here in Mexico.\u00c2\u00a0 Especially if it is your first time around.\u00c2\u00a0 The concept and advise is the same as what I preach to new non-Mexican buyers here in\u00c2\u00a0our Mexico real estate<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0market.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0There are many items that need to be addressed\u00c2\u00a0during a real estate transaction which might be overlooked, or we might not even be aware of the existence of such risks.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 An architect will understand the importance of choosing the right type of wood for the humidity factor which effects the Playa del Carmen region during the rainy season where as\u00c2\u00a0my wife\u00c2\u00a0and I\u00c2\u00a0might have\u00c2\u00a0chosen a\u00c2\u00a0popular light colored pine to match the interior furniture.\u00c2\u00a0 So,\u00c2\u00a0interview and find an architect that has many years of experience, an architect that has many testimonials, and one with credentials\u00c2\u00a0and finished\u00c2\u00a0samples that demonstrate his abilities.\u00c2\u00a0 The exact same when choosing your Mexico Real\u00c2\u00a0estate agent<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The first step is very important, so hire intelligently, as you\u00c2\u00a0are hiring someone to help administer your risks which increases the probabilities of higher returns or for a smoother real estate acquisition process.<\/p>\n

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The following\u00c2\u00a0step was\u00c2\u00a0to choose the style of property and the architectural design that appealed to both my wife and I.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0After giving the nod on the master plan, we broke up our project into several phases.<\/p>\n

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The first\u00c2\u00a0phase or\u00c2\u00a0sub-project\u00c2\u00a0was creating stairs on a independent building in the back side of the lot. \u00c2\u00a0 So our particular focused\u00c2\u00a0around creating an appealing stairway within a reduced amount of area.\u00c2\u00a0 We had thought of an iron spiral stairwell, but it did not have the sturdiness we felt necessary.\u00c2\u00a0 So the architect studied closely the tight area, and came up with a new idea which we had not contemplated which was a combination of cement structure, iron\u00c2\u00a0rails, and talavera.\u00c2\u00a0 All of which is combined beautifully with a bohemian type of feel\u00c2\u00a0which\u00c2\u00a0seemed would combine nicely with the wooden\u00c2\u00a0hacienda style 8 paneled window doors\u00c2\u00a0and wooden windows.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 There already existed a small lip on the previous structure so the architect took advantage of this accessory and placed wooden beams below giving the visual affect that the beams were actually supporting the walk way.<\/p>\n

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The wooden beams would have a loseta placed on top of the beams in order to support that walk above.\u00c2\u00a0 We poured cement on top of the beams and loseta and then placed the location for the iron guard rails.<\/p>\n

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In traditional spanish designs, talavera is very common accessory that brings much life and color to the structures.\u00c2\u00a0 So we included a traditional conservative white blue combination.\u00c2\u00a0 Given the budget, the details were held to a minimum and our plans are to give the structure hints and reminders of accessories to an old existing cement and block building.\u00c2\u00a0 These are simple additions that as can be seen in the photos, change the appearance completely from a cookie cutter box design, to a building that is beginning to have character.<\/p>\n

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We had to find suppliers for cantera, for wood beams, for losetas, talavera, and iron gate.\u00c2\u00a0 Many homes are built with basic material supplies such as cement block, cement beams, and iron rods.\u00c2\u00a0 We wanted to use old traditional raw materials whose suppliers or the fabrication of such materials are not here in Quintana Roo but from the interior states of Mexico.\u00c2\u00a0 Places such as San Luis Potosi, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Jalisco are areas known for the manufacturing of art handcrafts and special items.\u00c2\u00a0 Here in Playa del Carmen, we found a great distributor who ships down materials on a monthly basis from Cholulua, Puebla.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 This is located just outside of Puebla Puebla which is famous nationwide for several items such as talavera, (which I will write further about in another post) and their hand woven cloths for blankets, table cloths or materials.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 We compared the original materials such as losetas and roof tiling to newer materials which used synthetic materials.\u00c2\u00a0 There are many pluses to having some of the newer materials, but after comparing the cost differences, the look of the material and the extra life that one option held over the other, we ended up choosing the old traditional materials in regards to the losetas and talavera.<\/p>\n

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Choosing a supplier for the wood beams also required close analysis.\u00c2\u00a0 Many people forget the extreme temperatures that wood is confronted with high temperatures during the summer and the high humidity that exists during the rainy season.\u00c2\u00a0 On doors and windows, one half of the wood may be exposed to extremely cold temperatures of an air conditioned room, but on the other side be exposed to the sun and high temperatures of the outdoor environment.<\/p>\n

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\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0So in the last few months of working on my Playa del Carmen real estate fixer upper, I have been \u00c2\u00a0reminded\u00c2\u00a0of the importance of surrounding yourself with an experienced team.\u00c2\u00a0 Don’t let your pride get in the way of choosing a team leader and in my case, the team leader was an architect from Mexico City.\u00c2\u00a0 I let his 30 plus years of experience guide my wife and I in choosing an architectural design that was typical, functional, and … pleasant to the eye.\u00c2\u00a0 With the style defined, I then had the fun of looking for raw materials and their suppliers here in Playa del Carmen.\u00c2\u00a0 Now in the posts to come, I will try to go into further details on the materials and show some examples\u00c2\u00a0of how we applied them to our work in process.\u00c2\u00a0 Until then, if some of you have been dreaming of owning Playa del Carmen real estate, or any Mexico real estate and want to have an adventure of restoring or fixing up an old structure,\u00c2\u00a0 feel free to contact us.\u00c2\u00a0 Several of us\u00c2\u00a0on TOP Mexico real estate network have much experience in these projects and will love to\u00c2\u00a0share our frustrations and joys during these adventures.<\/p>\n

Thomas Lloyd <\/strong>graduated from Purdue University Krannert School of Management with a degree in Management\/Financial Option Investments. He has been living, investing, and working professionally in Mexico for over 15 years. In the summer of 2009, he received the first federally applied Mexico Real Estate Degree <\/strong>and Mexico Professional Real Estate License<\/strong>S.E.P. #5978657. He is the current president of TOPmexicorealestate, you can contact him at <\/em>(512) 879-6546<\/span><\/strong> or through the company’s web site<\/em> www.TOP<\/span>mexicorealestate.com NETWORK
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We have been working in the Playa del Carmen real estate region for several years.\u00c2\u00a0 So we have a very good feeling on which neighborhoods are developed, which real estate regions are up and coming, and which areas are losing appeal.\u00c2\u00a0 One secret of a\u00c2\u00a0good investor is having the time\u00c2\u00a0to be able to walk the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13532,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[270,528,254,70],"tags":[527,526,1526],"class_list":{"0":"post-276","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mexico-cities","8":"category-mexico-fixer-upper-mexico-investment-property","9":"category-mexico-investment-property","10":"category-playa-del-carmen-real-estate","11":"tag-mexico-fixer-upper","12":"tag-playa-del-carmen-fixer-upper","13":"tag-playa-del-carmen-real-estate","14":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=276"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10237,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276\/revisions\/10237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.topmexicorealestate.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}