Category: Investor News/Analysis

A lot of foreigners will agree to one price per square meter on a new home build.

Start to finish. Turnkey.
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And they overpay, usually in the six figures.

Instead…

Hire just for the great job first, the guttering system on each property is a crucial part of the protection needed against the elements, in this case, water from rainfall and melted snowfall. The gutters collect any water that falls on the property and then channels it away from areas that it could cause damage to, such as the walls and foundations. Should the gutters fail in this task, then it can lead to extensive damage and more serious repairs. All of which will cost far more than hiring guttering Manchester for cleaning and repairs.

In the grey job is usually included the foundation, the columns, roof and walls. Of course all left in grey, and of course considering the walls are cement block  and the roof is the typical walk-able cement “losa”, and also the use of cleaning services could really help when building houses.In case of roofing services you should approch to trusted roofers company.

When finished then tell the builders “chao”. And proceed to find specialists for the other jobs regarding the house job by job.

For instance, for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house I’ve seen you can get the grey job done hiring this way for under $10k (just the labor fee, materials not included). Also if you want to improve your roof, you visit the website to get affordable services from a roofing contractor which could do a great work for this purpose.

And be sure to pay for the job, not weekly. They will work lightning fast that way. Check out Olympia Lighting for Pressure Sodium Lamps For Solar LED Street Lighting.

Do you have a patio in your yard?

Is it difficult to enjoy the outdoor atmosphere of your patio without sitting in scorching heat?

Maybe you want to sit outside during a light drizzle or play a game of cards without the sun burning a hole through your game.

A deck is great for bringing together family and friends for special events and parties, but weather can get in the way of having a good time. Hire this london tradesmen to get some extra help building your project.

A patio cover solves this problem by providing shade from the sun and cover from precipitation.

Consider investing in a high-quality patio cover to compliment your already existent patio. Or include a cover on your current or upcoming patio building project.

Why is a patio cover so important?

Yearlong Use

A patio cover allows homeowners the opportunity to shade themselves when the sun is beating down in their yard. It is frustrating during a beautiful day when you can’t go outside because the sun is a little too hot. A patio cover shades people from this scorching sun and prevents problems such as sunburn and overheating.

Many people also like to watch the rain. What better way to enjoy seasonal weather by sitting in the middle of it? A patio cover enables people to walk outside during a storm and enjoy the tranquil sounds of rainfall.

Parties

Parties are one of the main reasons getting a patio cover is a good idea. Parties are often held when the weather is hot. The patio cover not only protects people from the sun, but food and drinks as well. Keep your beverages and party foods cool with the help of a large patio cover. It also helps to keep chairs and tables cool for people to sit on.

Quality and Look

The quality of your backyard and overall look of your property is important for various reasons. A patio cover increases the financial value of your house, making it more desirable for potential buyers down the road. It also increases the quality of your neighborhood by providing a place for people to come over and hang out.

“Wow, nice commercial fridge,” I told my friend while visiting him on the beach.

“And that’s a new table too.” I added.

“Yea, there was this expat couple that moved back to Alaska. Sold everything quick, got everything for less than half price, they had just furnished the place with all new things months ago from bobmillsfurniture.com.” My friend replied.

I see this a lot.

Folks move here, invest heavily in furniture orange county and even real estate, and within weeks or a few months they’re packing up and moving out.

And selling their stuff at a deep discount.

You know, Ecuador, and Latin America in general, isn’t for everybody.

But it’s an expat fire sale, and its a great way for the rest of us to buy our furniture or a patio chat set at often less than half of what the items cost new.

They told me, they bought the sauder furniture from the best furniture companies in the US. They have high-quality wood furniture and specialization in chairs for the kids.

So how do you hear about the expat furniture fire sales  in the frequently asked questions newsletter ?

Just keep your ear to the ground, a wife always complaining? Maybe a husband? They could be gone soon. These are the best cause you are the first one to hear about it.

Other ways to hear about these are by signing up for the Ecuador expat nationwide newsletter gringopost.com and by checking your local regional paper. Visit Gotta Sleep to learn more about bed sizes and dimensions in canada that are comfortable just for you.

For instance, in Quito check the EL COMERCIO classifieds on a Sunday in the OPORTUNIDADES (green) section for MUEBLES (furniture), LINEA BLANCA (appliances). A lot of people both Ecuadorians and expats moving abroad post that they are selling their household goods discounted here, you can even find RV Mattress on sale.

Must sell quick!

For kitchen equipment try the NEGOCIOS section where many a restaurant that has gone under is selling off their kitchen equipment. Need a nice industrial stove, freezer or whatever? This is the place to look. Of course this last option would require a bit of Spanish.

There you have it, now you know how to buy some amazing luxury furniture and if you want to get more tips when buying your furniture pieces, make sure to join here!

For more updates on everything Ecuador investing and living related from the ground, please sign up for my Ecuador Insiders newsletter, revealing everything you need to know BEFORE you invest in Ecuador. Unsubscribe at any time:

To continue reading please sign up for my Ecuador Insiders newsletter, revealing everything you need to know BEFORE you invest in Ecuador. Unsubscribe at any time:

Good question.  

Sometimes in Ecuador it seems like the people actually selling their farm have no idea how much to ask as prices are all across the board.  Asking prices can be particularly high once a crop is already producing.  

But you can find a lot of farms for sale for under $1000 per hectare (2.2 acres).  

But when you inquire further or actually visit the farm you realize why they are so cheap.  

No road access.

Or very poor access in that you literally have to travel for a while on rough dirt road that will often get washed out during the rainy season.  Even still, some farms will force you to park and walk because they can not be reached by car.  

On the flip side, farms near a major highway (say within 15 minutes of driving) yet down an unpaved side road reachable by car usually go around $3-6000 per hectare.  

While farms with direct highway access usually ask around $5-8000 per hectare.

Next up, water.  

Does the farm have a river or two on or bordering the premise?  If it does, it´s worth something, if not forget about it as "well water" might suffice for building a residence on a property but not for actually growing crops.

Following that, overall remoteness, electricity, cell phone coverage and more play into it…  Like, how close is the farm to the nearest town where you can actually find workers and take your crops to market?  Important, indeed.  

For instance, this week, I was in the Santo Domingo area, about half way in between Quito and the coast in the coastal plain lowland region of Ecuador, and through a friend I found one interesting buy.  

A 16 hectare farm with direct highway access and several small rivers in a green, rainy area, electricity and minutes from a large town asking $60,000.  That´s just over $3500 per hectare.  

The owners inherited the property and have no interest in it and just want to liquidate.

In my experience, this is a good deal, having direct highway access gives you a lot of options like possibly building a restaurant (paradero) or guesthouse down the line.  

The area has a sub-tropical, mild, yet humid climate due to the median altitude of 950 meters (3100 feet).  

Many both cold and warm weather crops can grow here like sugar cane, citrus fruits, Cocoa, Stevia or more local varieties with local demand like Naranjilla, Palmito and Borojo. Also, coffee is a possibility.  

To continue reading please sign up for my Ecuador Insiders newsletter, revealing everything you need to know BEFORE you invest in Ecuador. Unsubscribe at any time:

My brother is married to a Thai woman.  

Even still, when they go to live over there for part of the year, he still has to do "border runs" every month or so.  Even for him, residency is complicated!

Other countries, like the Philippines, or Colombia don´t force you to leave the country but every month or so you have to keep paying and paying to renew your tourist visa.  

Ecuador is not like that.  

Ecuador is one of THE EASIEST countries in the world to get residency, no doubt about it.  And after three years of legal residency you could apply and get a South American second passport which opens up the whole continent to you making it much easier for you to live in Colombia, Peru, Brazil or any of the other countries down here.