Building a Home

If you do decide to build a home on your land, there are several steps required. First, conduct a preliminary study, which should be completed before you buy the land. Also, be sure to see if your lot has access to water, drainage, electricity and telephone services. You will have to hire an architect or civil engineer to oversee the construction of your home. Be sure to get several bids and ask for references. Expect to visit the construction site almost everyday to ensure things are getting done.

If you cannot be there have a reliable person inspect the construction site for you on a daily basis.

Before you build, you should seriously weigh the costs of building a home yourself or buying a ready-made home.

As in the rest of Central America most construction in Panama is done with cinder block. However, more and more sheet rock is being used in the interior of homes for ceilings and walls. Most floors are covered with ceramic tile. Wall to wall carpeting and rugs are rarely found in homes.