Category: Expat Lifestyle

I’m done. Six weeks, 3 tiki huts built with oceanviews near Montanita.

3 VERY different styles.

Non are luxury, but two of the three are nice for the middle-end or middle-higher-end traveler while one without much of a view is for the budget backpacker/surfer type, with good drainage with drain survey London system installed.

Remember when I got quoted $3000-3500 for each tiki hut? And when I said I knew of others in the area that pull in around $50 a night on the weekends and $20 or so a night on weekdays?

Well, I built mine with kitchenette, balcony, 1 bedroom, 1 bath ensuite with WIFI for new arrival expats and travelers looking to rent anywhere from 3 days to one month, maybe while they search for something else long-term like a 2 storey homes perth which can provide them all the facilities with the best construction and interiors for their enjoyment. Entrust the basement to Denver mud jacking contractors. An imperative precaution is to get the roofing done the right way. To get professional assistance on roofing, Hotshot Construction is the best way to begin with.

Well, here are the exact FINAL COSTS of the construction of each…

Tiki Hut 1, The budget option with little ocean-view built with a cement floor and cement block with the “Sing” metal sheet roofing (with help of Transition Roofing experts) so common in this area of Ecuador. It has WIFI and a mini-stove and bathroom (all in the same room) while the shower is behind a curtain out back. I hope to rent it to a surfer or backpacker for around $100 a month or $5 a day for shorter time periods. But if you want the job done properly, you may need to work with one of the more experienced general contractors in Seattle, for more information click right here on Home Care Contractors. It’s good enough for me and someone not very picky, I could live there if I needed to live somewhere rent-free. It is very soviet-esque but comes furnished with bed, table, chair, Wifi internet, electric cooker, sink, and a half bath with the shower around back which does have a curtain. Currently its listed for rent at $85 a month.

Total build time = 6 days. (One Ecuador workweek).
Total size = 16 m2 or 172 ft2

FINAL COSTS

Floor and mini-support columns
-8 sacks of cement at $6.65 = $53.20
– 1/2 m2 of sand = $9.15
– 1/2 m2 of rock = $10.20
– 6 Rebar of 8mm = $31.86
total= $104.41

Walls
Cement block (250 units) = $77.50
6 Sacks of cement = $39.90
Door = $45
Lock and door knob = $12
No glass windows installed, only cement block windows with mosquito screens.
=$174.40

Roofing Installation
7 sheets of metal “Sing” = $77
4 wooden support cross beams = $36
Mosquito netting = $25
= $138

Installations
Toilet and sink = $95
Shower head = $8
Electricity installation of one light = $24
3 points of water and plumbing installation with services from All Service Plumbers & drain cleaning= $60

(You can get the best plumber in Ryde for all your plumbing installation procedures at affordable prices. Contact them today)

Random plastic tubing, wiring and electric/plumbing accessories = $34.68
Electric stove = $14
= $235.68

Labor = 2 men, one lead builder (maestro $150) and an assistant (oficial $90) for one week, total = $240

TOTAL COST $892.49

Tiki Hut 2, I bought this All-wooden hut pre-built from a builder I know from the Ecuadorian Amazon, Tena region. It took 3 days for them to install it on my location elevated a few feet above the ground. It has a wooden balcony, wooden floor, wooden walls, a “sing” roof, a beautiful oceanview, one bedroom, one bathroom, a sink, kitchenette, mini-refrigerator, WIFI, one queen bed, closet, one full bathroom with a hot electric-powered shower with a tile floor and vinyl-covered walls. Roofers in Birmingham know their trade well, too. If the heat that the thatched roof might be accumulating bothers you, consider hiring a San Diego home services contractor to install some cooling AC systems.

I had to tile the floor myself first laying a small web or rebar, then laying a 5 cm layer of cement, then laying the tile… and then I had to stick vinyl on the bathroom walls with rubber cement as well as install the water and electricity outlets and hook up. For rent (based on market prices) at $20/ night, $95/week or $230/month, the price is the same for one or two people.

Total build time = 7 days.
Total size = 24 m2 or 258 ft2

Total cost of pre-fabricated wooden hut installed on site= $3200.

Total cost of bathroom supplies, tile for floor = $56
Vinyl for bathroom walls = $72
Installation of plumbing (4 points) = $84
Installation of electricity (4 points) = $48
Toilet and bathroom sink set = $85
Electric shower head = $24
Sink for kitchenette with accessories = $56
Electric wiring, plastic tubes and other plumbing and electric accessories = $78
Labor (2 days to install bathroom floor, lead maestro) = $50

Total cost = $3753

Tiki Hut 3, This was my baby, and boy I had no idea what i was getting myself into. By far the most labor intensive and time consuming, I designed the hut myself based off similar “mixed” models in the area. I also embodied some of the ideas from the Central Penn Contracting website. Due to inexperience building these types of huts (it was my first time) I made mistakes all along the way that caused me to go about $2k over budget (see the end of this email for details).

By “mixed construction” I mean a building that uses a mix of both eco-materials like bamboo and normal construction materials like cement and brick. My idea was to build an elevated structure a few feet off the ground with a cement, tiled floor and walls made partially of brick and bamboo.

The roof would have bamboo cross beams and a typical-for-the-area grass roof with a hidden layer of heavy-duty plastic and mosquito netting to keep the bugs out. The hut would have a balcony, one bedroom, one full bathroom with electric-powered hot shower powered by a strong boiler and a kitchenette area complete with a countertop, sink, mini-refrigerator, one queen bed, closet, WIFI and a dining table for two. I got the ideas and some pointers from the guys at www.costshed.com I did it, and it looks great, but not without learning a lot along the way. For rent (based on market prices) at $20/ night, $95/week or $250/month, the price is the same for one or two people.

Total build time = 5 weeks
Total size = 30 m2 or 322 ft2

TOTAL COSTS

Labor costs
4 laborers for 3 weeks (2 lead builders, 2 assistants), 3 laborers for additional 2 weeks (2 lead builders, 1 assistant)
Lead builders (maestros) I paid one $150 a week and the other $140 a week.
Assistants (oficiales) I paid $90 a week
Extra $80 for extra men the day we poured the floor
Total= $2250

Material costs unit cost total cost
5.5 m3 of rock for construction $20.35 111.93
3 m3 of fine sand for construction $12 36
5 m3 of large-grained sand for construction $18.30 91.50
72 Sacks of cement $6.65 478.80
1 screwdriver $1.34 $1.34
11 Material transport cost $7 77
25 Rebar of 12mm $11.77 294.25
39 Rebar of 8 mm $5.31 207.09
18 Rebar of 10 mm $8.19 147.42
31 steel wire for tying rebar $.88 27.28
1 Wire #14 100m $27.50 $27.50
2 Paintbrushes for interior painting $1.87 3.74
2 Pairs of rubber gloves $1.60 $3.20
1 Flex meter $3.03 $3.03
1 Net to filter sand $3.16 $3.16
45 4-meter boards of low quality wood for construction purposes $3.40 $153
28 m2 large floor tiles for bedroom and kitchen 5.18 $145.04
1 SIKA 4kg Acelerante $5.37 $5.37
2 Red Teflon Paolo $.41 $.82
2 drain piece for shower $2.25 $4.50
10 nails for cement 2.5” .08 $.80
20 nails for wood 2.5” .84 $16.80
1 Tube Connector $2.09 $2.09
1 Tube 110 mm $10.04 $10.04
10 Viruta #8 $.60 $6
10 lbs of 2” nails $1.63 $10.63
3 lbs of 3” nails $1.63 $10.63
Tubes for plumbing $2.65
34 Bamboo thin 4 meter stalks for construction purposes $3 $102
3 4×4 wood cuartones $6.35 $19.05
1 mangle (wood beam) 5 meter $13
2 doors nicely finished $70 $140
2 Door lock $12 $24
6 Caja Rectangular Plastigama Plumbing accessories $.76 $4.56
1 Caja Octagonal .76
5 Tomac 1228 2.37 $11.85
1 Tomac P-68 2.14
2 Interruptor 1100 1.79 $3.58
8 Perfiles 4x4x2.3 2.61 $20.88
2 Brushes for wire 1.60 $3.20
2 Viruta #8 .58 $1.16
2 Windows with wood frames nicely finished $100 $200
25 stalks of diced Bamboo $3.50 $87.50
15 m2 of Beige tile $9.06 $135.90
7 m2 of Sabina Beige tile $7.81 $54.67
30 units of designer bathroom tiles $.76 $22.80
4 Bags of Porcelain, grout $1.73 $6.92
16 Sacks of Bondex Titania 20kg cement $4.24 $67.84
4 Sacks of Bondex Premium 20kg cement $12.41 $49.64
Varios Tubes, emergency plumbing service / electrical accessories $478.89
2 Electric saw blade $4.50 $9
10 Cabo ¼ $.22 $2.20
1 metal sink $28.57
30 m2 Black heavy-duty plastic for roofing $1.56 $46.80
3 units Maderol 1000cc $10.26 $30.78
2 Piola Nylon Ponte Selva #6 $1.87 $3.74
8 Sack Granite pebbles $2 $16
1 Codo 50×90 Plastigama 1.20
1 Sifon 50mm Plastigama $4.01
2 llave de pared for kitchen plumbing $21.87 $43.74
3 Tubes for toilet 1/2×7/8 2.36 $7.08
16 screws 8×2” .05 $.80
1 6” brush Wilson 9.55
8 Rosetron Bakelina .58 $4.64
1 Connectors for bathroom sink $9.82
8 Tiras (wood for construction) 1.56 $12.48
10 Cuartones (wood for construction) 2.93 $29.30 744.5
6 units sandpaper #120 .35 $2.10
3 units sandpaper #80 1.35 $4.05
3 units sandpaper #180 .35 $4.05
1 unit handicraft wood for balcony $60
6 bundles palm frowns for finishing roof $25 $125
Other wood costs for construction not calculated above $100
2000 Bricks .21 $420

Total material cost: $ 4306.86

Total cost = $6557.36

Final conclusions, lessons learned, notes to self + you:

– Buy pre-fabricated if you can find a design you like! It will save you time, hassle and money!

– Build on the ground, not with an elevated floor to save costs on rebar and time. This error cost me a bit over a $1000 and caused me to go over-budget! You’ll need Painters in Kansas City to help you create your dream house just like you wanted.

– Build with cement block and the typical metal-sheet roofing when feasible to economize, use brick for decorating and highlighting only. Bricks are very time-consuming to build with.

– Shop around for stainless steel plate sizes to make doors and windows prices range greatly.

– When building an elevated floor or multiple floors find someone to rent you their construction wood planks, the ones they use to hold up the cement.

– Have your own pick-up truck type vehicle during construction and save greatly on transport costs.

– Once your floor and support columns are in most of the heavy lifting is done and you can reduce personnel.

– Always be prepared for construction projects in new countries to cost 50-75% more than you planned for if managing yourself.

– Although feasible and even a bit fun, if you aren’t a builder it’s really not a good idea to manage a construction project yourself.

– There is a reason Ecuadorians build like they do, and like I followed with TIKI HUT #1, don’t reinvent the wheel, try to build as they do to economize but maybe while adding a few “perks” that add value to your place and make it somewhere you’d like to live.

-Building with eco-products like Bamboo actually is MORE expensive than building with cement and cement block.

– Buy as many fixtures, furniture and materials as possible in the nearest big city to save costs, on the southern coast that would mean buying in Guayaquil.

-Buy all the rock, sand and cement bags you will need for the project beforehand to save time and costs considering you have a place to put it.

– If building on your own get at least a couple “expert” opinions beforehand, I only got one, wasn’t enough, wish someone would have told me at least what I just told you, it would have saved me thousands!

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It’s cool to look at a patch of dirt…

…point at it…

…and start building a home.

A few weeks ago I did just that for the first time in Ecuador as I began my project on the coast building from scratch.

Before starting construction you must have done an home inspection from specialist. As a property financial specialist, there are absolutely numerous significant components or angles that you need to factor in to make the way toward starting or scanning for your fantasy home go faster and simpler. A portion of these elements incorporates your readied spending plan for the property, its area, its size, its number of rooms and on the off chance that it can oblige the present and a potential number of your relatives.

Furthermore, obviously, another significant factor that you ought to consider also when putting resources into your potential new home is the current physical or basic state of the property. Also, a total and exhaustive property or building examination is one of the numerous procedures you can consider putting resources into to ensure that the property you will purchase will without a doubt be a decent one; one that you will love buying.

On the off chance that you don’t have an observing eye with regards to investigating and examining a specific structure, house or condo, and its territories or segments, you have to contract the administrations of an expert structure monitor. EWP Inspection Services offer various rates for the administrations they offer. The following are the normal factors that decide or influence the rate or cost of a structure review administration that you should pay for to have a property you are intrigued to put resources into expertly examined or assessed:

What the assessment bundle or administrations incorporate. A structure assessment administration from https://richtek.com.au/ covers the typical checks: an investigation or close examination of the property’s inside and outside façade, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical framework, to give some examples. The fixtures for these aspects is usually carried out by companies such as this 5 Star HVAC Company Knoxville – Hero Services. However, you might need to have the property checked for the nearness of any bugs too. Furthermore, this extra assistance will generally put on your tab except if you decide on building and bug investigation bundle that numerous organizations additionally give.

And here are 20 of the most important (and costly!) lessons I learned the hard way so you don’t have to:

1. If you can’t be present, pay someone one price for the whole project.  If you can be present and have the time find a few local workers and pay by the week..

2. It’ll always not only cost more but take longer than you think it will.

3. Bricks look nice but are very labor-intensive and eat up a lot of time when building with them.

4. After the first few weeks of the project most of the heavy lifting is done and to save money you can go with just the specialized lead builders (maestros) and lay off the helpers and assistants (oficiales). You can also save cost by using a blaux portable ac for just your bedroom, instead of a regular and big cooling/heating unit.

5. Yes, Bamboo is cheap but building with it eats up even more time than brick lying does if you want it to look nice.

6. Buy the larger ceramic tiles to speed up construction time, plus they look more elegant.

7. Only have your builders lay ceramic on the shower walls and the bathroom floor.  No need to tile the whole bathroom, you can save costs and time.

You could call Superior Shower Door to get the best frameless glass doors for your bathroom and give it a touch of elegance.

8. Install the doors and windows at the very end of the project so they don’t get scratched and botched up. Also, if adding an air conditioning unit have them install it at the same time as the doors and windows.

9. Pay for the materials in cash, in Ecuador most stores will charge an extra 4-12% when paying with a credit OR debit card.

10. Plan a few days ahead so your builders never have to pause with their arms crossed during the construction process because you went to buy materials at the last minute and the local stores were out of stock (common!).

11. For simple constructions, blueprints drawn up by an architect aren’t really necessary but they will help to get a building approval in the local Municipal.

12. To save money if building on the coast buy most of your building materials in the nearest FERRISARIATO big box store, on the southern coast the only ones are in La Libertad near Salinas or in Guayaquil.

13. Get at least a couple quotes for things like doors and windows, turned out I overpaid I discovered asking around after the fact.

14. After the doors and windows are installed check to be sure they close and lock correctly, mine didn’t cause the guys were rushing. Commercial brisbane based stronghold Locksmith are the experts to address if your locks are insecure.

15. Don’t start the construction project the same week as an Ecuadorian national holiday, you will have to pay the same weekly stipend but you will actually lose almost 2 days of work because many of your workers will skip out early the day before a long weekend or work half-a$$. Kitchen remodeling should become the first step.

16. If feasible buy all your materials one time at the start of the project to avoid having to make frequent runs to the hardware stores and pay hefty transport fees.

17. Buy pre-fabricated if possible and save yourself the hassle of building (unless you like it)!

18. Understand the standard Ecuadorian construction work-week, Monday through Friday 8a-4p plus Saturday 8a-12p.  Laborers will try to negotiate to work only Monday through Friday but that is not the norm here for construction projects.

19. Buy your laborers lunch and for the extra $2 it cost you you can get them to stay and work an extra hour at the end of their shift.

20. Cash, Cash, Cash!  Getting cash is a big problem when building in the small towns on the coast of Ecuador.  All your workers will expect cash payments and there is NO WHERE to take out cash.  Plus the few ATM machines that do exist usually have daily limits of $300 you can take out of any one card.  Have a plan or even better a local bank account you can withdraw from on a weekly basis, especially at the end of the week.

But first you need to find the land, and to learn how I find it… cheap.. just check the New Home Floor Plans | Savannah, Pooler GA | Bluffton SC | Landmark 24

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Related post: Houston Commercial Remodeling Build-outs.

As you may know if you’re signed up for my Insider’s newsletter, I’m currently building a few beach “Tiki-style” huts on the southern coast of Ecuador in the typical local style. Here on construction articles you will get all the home improvement blogs.

You know the ones I said you could build for around $3500 (at least that’s what i got quoted, we’ll see how much it actually comes to later this week).

So what is the “local” Ecuadorian-style?

Think bamboo. It’s cheap here, precisely $4 a stalk.

But there’s more to it than that, better, let me show you a few examples.

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