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Last activity 11 July 2018 by mbarlow

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Phillyman

I’d like to visit Belize in about a two months.
While I’m there I plan to tour the various areas and weigh my options. I’m considering and parcel of land that I can build on at my pace. Maybe 3-5 acres. Good deals in Toledo? Something around Punta Gorda? Could I find something for under 30-40K?  Fertile land with water is my goal. I’m researching a lot online but I feel when I get there I could find better deals or perhaps I’ll see what is a better option. Any help?

terrific

Almost certain there will be better deals in country. You  Just need absolute certainty the land you purchase  is fully titled and the seller actually  sole owns it, and there are no other claims by  other family members to it. 
There is a lot of Lease land in Belize, owned by the government. Also Belize inheritance laws for a death without a will can be quite convoluted in just how many family members get a share of property.

Phillyman

Hey thanks... my first interaction. I will certainly be sure the land is legit being sold and title is clear. If i need to find an attorney I will. In fact I will probably find a few down there before I even reach there just in case. Once I secure the land I’m looking at housing. Linda Vista homes keep popping up on my radar. It looks like reinforcing with concrete base or pillars 3’-9’ is a good move since termites are plentiful. Ive also got at least two names of builders any info appreciated.

terrific

The menonite builders (there are several companies)  certainly make good houses. Problem is they have become more popular of recent years and there can be quite a wait.
It is usually a good idea to have the house put up on concrete posts, which is a seperate build not done by them, and would have to be in place before delivery of the house.
My houses were  both built by local builders I have 2 x2 storey  houses. the first was on 9 foot concrete posts, went up from foundations to living in in three months, still at that time needed a lot of internal finishes but the essentials of rooms plumbing and electricity enabled my son to move in. ( we have Solar electricity) We built  the lower floor under with concrete walls at a later date.  A good solution as initially we did not know how much room we would need.
The second was designed as concrete ground floor and a wooden second floor with large wrap around decks from the start. That house took a lot longer being  both bigger and fully finished, in all about 10 months start to finish but there was  a months hold up 3/4 the way through due to Hurricane Earl.
  The Builders I used were fairly local to my property and both small family businesses, I saw previous examples of their work prior to choosing them. The only reason We used a second builder for number two house was the first business admitted he is mainly a shell builder and doesn't really do the finishings, like cabinetry and decor, to the expertise I was likely to require.   During both builds I never lost any materials from the site and both kept meticulous records for all costings.
So if you want  to build My advice is try to find a local Belize family business, and see finished builds they have done, they know all the problems  Belize can throw at your house and they have their good name to protect.
Some Bigger building companies while having all the qualifications and boasting Expat ownership, are usually able to produce a very good houses, but they  still employ local workers who may or may not be good at the job. and the costs are often much higher.
I have heard complaints that one  'named' builder/contractor employed rarely turned up on site and did not check enough on Quality of workmanship, allowing dry wall to go up without a layer of tar paper( probably not its real name) on the exterior walls, which caused major water damage in the first real storm of the rainy season.
I am based in the middle of the country so only know my own area.

Phillyman

wow yes very helpful!

is there any use in looking for a container home supplier to ship to Belize. There are some great designs out there, some that even cover the exterior so it blends with the environment better.
My options appear to be one of the mennonite homes, earth bag home or container. id prefer container but not sure of the costs because I can't really find a company that will ship to Belize.... then theres the price. Initially container homes were all about eco friendly, affordable, Low foot print housing but now it seems like they're really huge and expensive, even high end.

terrific

Contianner homes in Belize could be  problematic due to humidity and heat levels, and  keeping it cool would be expensive. but check out archives on this and other Belize forums as this has been discussed previously. Can't think  purchasing .fitting out delivering and positioning on a Belize site from the US is likely to be any more affordable than the cost of a small to medium Mennonite home.
An earth bag home would run at a fairly inexpensive option so long as the builder knows his stuff, about positioning and foundation, as the main cost is  labor and that is cheap in Belize. I am not sure how you mean Blending with the environment. the majority of homes in Belize are concrete or concrete and wood. The huge McMansions are the ones that stand out.
There is a company within Belize that sells  the Quansett ( spelling?) type buildings in different sizes  fitted out as homes too.

mbarlow

[b]Unless his m.o. has changed, I'd avoid Johan Wiebe. He will appear with a contract and a bid, then what shows up is not what he said.  I asked for dried lumber, especially for joists, and what I received was absolutely NOT dry.  The  /b] houses are built from Mahogany.  Green Mahogany will twist and warp, unlike the Doug Fir one gets in the US. Using green Mahogany, unlike the fir will give you a bumpy uneven floor.  The Mennonites, along with the help of a builder from Mexico were good at construction, but not careful with the storage.  On my lumber they stacked it upright against a tree and allowed it to get rained on.  They did the same with the neighbor's house.  We ended up with an undesirable floor.
Too, I understand that a number of Mennonite builders have left Belize.  I think there were some legal actions taken against the ones that left.  In my Consejo area near the Mexican border there is a builder that is in the Consejo area.  Who you get depends on where you're going to land.  I understand many of the Mennonite builders are located near 'Shipyard.'

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