Building in Brazil

Hi Cuffy,

While I know the area, I've not spent any time there so I can't tell you much about Mucuri. I'm much more familiar with Alcobaça and Porto Seguro (lived in Porto Seguro for a couple of years). The town of Alcobaça is a really beautiful place and very tourist oriented. I'd move there in a heartbeat given the chance. If Mucuri is anything like Alcobaça I'm sure you'll love it.

Regarding finding someone trustworthy to oversee your building project the best way to go about that is get a reference from one of the locals who is also building. Find someone who can recommend a "Mestre de Obras" that's trustworthy. They'll usually have ready access to workers who are both skilled and trustworthy.

One tip, don't pay for your whole project up front. Make payments to the Mestre de Obras as the funds are needed and keep close tabs on both the progress and expenses.

Cheers,
James   Expat-blog Experts Team

Thanks  for the information James.

As my wife is from Salvador, (family still there), she knows Porto Seguro and Alcobaça. She is in full agreement with what you said. We are interested in the Mucuri area as it is closest to the border with Espirito Santo as well. Be a good jumping off spot for local travel.

Being relatively unknown to tourists the lifestyle should be more laid back and without all the pressure of trying to keep tourists happy. We want a 'clean' quiet place near the ocean beaches where we can unwind and live each day as calmly and peacefully as possible. Not interested in partying and large crowds. Been there, done that !

Take care.

Bring Maple Syrup.... it's worth its weight in Gold

Two true I just left from visiting with my wife syrup peanut butter jelly paper towels and napkins

Hi Cuffy,
As usual, James has already given sage advice.  I am an American, an architect, and I´m also a Brazilian architect. 
1. Yes, take the time to find the right person to represent your interests.  An engineer, a Master Builder (mestre de obras), or an architect. 
2. People will tell you that architects are expensive and are ignorant interior decorators.  In some cases, this advice is correct, but it can be dead wrong.  You need all options on the table to select the right representatives.
3. There is no price.  If you are told there is a price, there is no price. Negotiate.
4. There is no contract, there is only due diligence, and all diligence is due.  Acting like a paranoid freak about contract details will still not ensure that the contract is in force.
5. Words do not correspond directly to reality.  Do not be surprised or angry about this, be pro-active. Check on everything until you are satisfied with the results.
6. Do not pay up front.
8. Multiply time estimates for all paperwork and labor by 2X, 4X, 6X.  There is no deadline, especially when you are told there is a deadline.
9. Rent as long as possible so as to delay the inevitable problems and time-loss that comes with property ownership.
10. Do not accept livestock or goods (raw meat, sand) as payment unless you actually want livestock or goods.  It´s not charming.
I probably went way off topic for you, but there are a lot of wrinkles to smooth out and a lot of potential hair-loss to avoid in this process.  Best of luck!  -Erik

Oh, two more points from Erik:
11. Mature, respected professionals might have no qualms whatsoever about slandering and upstaging fellow professionals, especially those unknown to them.  e.g. "He sounds like an idiot."  "He doesn´t know what he´s doing."  Real estate and construction is not rocket science--you can judge for yourself.  You probably should, in fact.
12. If you know you want something built a certain way, demand it.  Even if you have to teach the foreman and the workers yourself.  They will be absolutely certain there is only one way to accomplish something for you can personally think of 27 ways. Since they will also have an abundance of time and energy to argue with you about this, settle in for the long haul.

Very true my wife and I put a second floor on the house we own and we stay there and check  several times we had to stop them and  tell them no we don't want you to do it that  way  we want you to build it this way they gave us a little resistance but in the long run we had the apartment build exactly the way we wanted  it.

We are currently building in Goiania but I am staying out of the process so the gringo prices don't start to creep in. I do approve most things by phone / e-mail but trust family will not jack it all up. My in-laws are sub contracting out each part of the build to save money and this does make it a longer process. It's been a year in the making and will be completed in a few weeks. Household goods arrive soon. I will be there in January.

I know what you mean my wife is Brazilian we built a house and we added the second floor on the whole time there I shut up and stayed out the way  because I speak Portuguese but  with an American accent so I know anytime I talk to them the price is going to go up so I just sat back and shut up!

Yeah I am so white that I stick out like a sore thumb. Would go see house on Sunday's and had an accommodating architect who didn't mind that. We are at the end: sidewalk / driveway stone and pool tile in progress. This is the forever home!

Well good luck me and my wife have a place in Armagoza she's  there now waiting for our shipment to arrive I just left about a month ago to return to work hopefully by next year at the most we should be leaving for good!!!

Congratulations that everything has worked out and you will be moving into new home.  Know the process must have been very frustrating but in the end you will be in a beautiful place. That is what we would like to do. Your very lucky.  Best of luck and enjoy!