Site Planning
-
You may already have your land, but if you don't there
are a few things to consider. If your lot is in town,
make sure the house fits on the lot you choose! With
zoning and set back restrictions you may find that
some parcels of land accommodate your plans and some
don't. A building
lot may have to accommodate well and septic systems.
-
Outside is where you'll spend
a much of your time, having wide-covered verandahs
will allow you to enjoy the out-of-doors in comfort
and style. Think about
whether you want an air-conditioned house or one primarily
cooled by a natural breeze. If you, as many do, elect
to go without AC, your floor plan should as much
as possible be "one room
deep".
Let the air flow through the front and
back without full partitions to interrupt the flow.
Half-walls for bathrooms can help accomplish this.
If you can design a plan that allows for full cross-ventilation,
you should be able to build without A/C - for even
on the hottest days of the year as you can always turn
on a fan. Another A/C option is to use wall-units
for certain rooms.
- Stilts
or on the ground?
Many homes here are built up
off the ground not only for high-water protection
but being up high gives
more view, more breeze and is further
away from the
insect population . The cost is more
to elevate a single-story home, however if your plans
include future expansion, you will have an
easy space to enclose.
Additionally, the "under the house" area
can be used for a workshop, covered patio or storage.
In this way, a two story construction plan can be a
very cost-efficient design.
As you travel throughout Belize
you'll notice many concrete houses with rebar rising
up off the roof and multitudes of incomplete
second-story structures in some phase of construction
or seeming abandonment. That's the way most Latin Americans
build. We don't normally rely on borrowing, although
that
is changing. Belizean's build mostly out of pocket
and so home construction may last many years.
- This is mostly a
matter of personal preference. Wood will be less
expensive to build with, but will require more
maintenance. Concrete
is more expensive initially, but requires less
maintenance and with hurricanes in this latitude,
many are opting for as solid a structure as possible.
There are
other interesting alternatives
such as steel construction or prefabricated cabanas
produced by Mennonites in Cayo District.
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Design & Construction
.- Professionally done
plans can be obtained locally. They don't need to
look professional to be approved. You will
however, need to submit a complete set of plans,
including elevations, floor plans, engineering and
a site plan showing where your home will sit on your
property. You can obtain an application for your
building permit from your local Town Board.
Submit according to town guidelines.
Fees for submission are low, and if your plans are
complete and within guidelines, approval
can be expected without delay. The planning board
meets monthly, and tries to review all plans
submitted.
- What makes a house "work" is
having the plan address the specifics of the very
site. Miss an "Unforeseen" and your house just
won't be completely right. Locals in your
area will know better than anyone what does and
doesn't work. They also know the
best local materials to use, building construction
methods and who does quality work.
- If you haven't built
in Belize before, you'd should
consider hiring somebody local for the actual building
construction. Take part in the construction if you
like. It's that way down here. When hiring a contractor,
take the precaution and ask for references and view
some of their completed work.
Some contractors will give you a bid
based on the square footage inside the walls only.
Others will bid on all of the square footage under
roof. Others have an "a-la- carte" bidding plan where
each component of the house is a different price. These
different methods of estimating can be confusing, so
get everything in writing.
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Water & Power
-
If service is available, call and get connected.
-
There are many different geologic areas so check before
drilling a well. In some cases the cost may be prohibitive
for the quality
of water.
On the
Cayes
water
can be as close to the surface as 18 inches.
-
Some prefer to use rain water.
Collection is easy, and you can catch as much as you
can store. A clean roofing material (not thatch) and
gutters leading to a cistern are all that's needed.
Cisterns may be of the pre-fabricated variety or you
can build one of concrete. They can
be located above or below ground. Water purification
filters are inexpensive
(although many drink straight from the cistern without
ill effects).
-
Depending on the volume of usage, you may
want to use well-water for toilet flushing and showering,
and cistern water for drinking and cooking. Bottled
water can be had for about US$2.50 for 5 gallons.
With a
cistern, you may have a year
where there is no significant rain for up to five
months. If you can create enough storage
to get through this situation, you should
have no worries. If you do run out delivery is usually
available.
You will find that your washing
machine is you biggest user of water. Local laundries
do a great job for a fair price.
Power
If
you're on the route of an existing line,
contact BEL (Belize Electric Limited) and arrange for
service. If not, you have several alternatives.
Solar is efficient,
and we have lots of free sunshine in Belize. Many
people use gas or diesel generators as power sources.
Whatever your source, you will probably want to
have have a back-up system with batteries, inverter
and a charger.
Wind power is
a subject of debate and hasn't really caught on down
here. (will you be most in need of the power for
a fan when the wind DOESN'T blow?).
Propane
Gas is
also readily available, and can be used for refrigeration
as well as cooking and for water heaters, if desired.
Just
that having your own home here can be the source
of great joy and happiness. If you want it - DO
IT.. keep
it simple and you'll have a home you can afford and
enjoy.
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