Building a house at consejo shores

I suggest that you NOT go with Mennonite construction.  When you're back, come visit me.  I'm at #40 Mayan Seaside, the subdivision across Consejo Road from you.
Mennonite construction is interesting as far as the cost of construction quote, but their materials are really substandard.  For my place and with 4 others in my community, they used green mahogany, which buckles after a year of two leaving you with floors with gaps between the tongue and groove and humps from the joists buckling.  The cabinet wood has the same problem, inproper curing time.  Cabinet doors will warp.  Water pipe will warp and separate.  Doors will be improperly installed, and after a year, they will not close because of the warping and improper installation.  Settling will be extreme causing walls to crack.  Tile will not be properly sealed and the showers will leak at the base.  Shower doors will be improperly installed.
If you are able, call this man:  Mr. Marc Wolf and he can put you in touch with a reliable builder.  Also, try to order your own kitchen sink.  The Mennonites will buy the cheapest on the market, and the metal will rust out quickly.  Just warning you to not have the same problems we have had, and we did not pay bottom dollar.  It may cost you $10,000 over the Mennonite quote, but it will be well worth it in having fewer headaches.  That's my best shot for you.  Welcome to the neighborhood!  You'll have really great neighbors!

build with block.............

Build with block,      I totally agree.  There'll be far fewer problems.

spend time driving around and looking for good tradespeople, talk to local homeowners.  Belize just enacted a building code but you can see plenty of dissolving concrete and rats nest wiring in properties down there.

There is a man named "Leslie" who is supposed to be a pretty good builder.  He finished the tile work in my house in Mayan Seaside and did well with that.  I don't remember his last name, or if Leslie was his last name.  I have not seen his construction work, however, but I believe if you ask around about Leslie, you're bound to find someone who knows of him.  Another resource is Marc Wolf.  He does handyman work, but he is in touch with a fellow who is a builder.  I hope this helps.

Try getting in touch with Martin (sorry can't remember his last name).  If you get ahold of the Consejo office they will know his last name and contact info.  He used to be a Canadian Builder and built 3 homes in Consejo.  1 for himself and 2 spec properties.  The 2 specs are sold. The quality is excellent.  I doubt he would handle the build for someone else however I think he might be willing to act as a project manager watching over you builder.  Worse case he would recommend someone.  He knows everyone there.  After seeing his homes I believe I would build with ISO provided the builder using knew what they were doing.  Reason would be much cooler than block and would construct very quickly.
It would however cost more than block.  You would however save on electricity trying to keep the home cool (i.e. fans or a/c).

@mbarlow
Can you tell me which Mennonite community was involved in the construction of your home?
Thanks

Hi Folks,
I own a gc company here in the states near Philadelphia PA. I am heading down on the 11th to buy a few lots and start building. We will also be selling lots with homes to your spec, acting as consultants for your build, or will build on your lot.  Our website for this portion would be up in a week or two. Here is our reg site. www. performanceconstructionllc.com

Here is what I know:

Lumber in Belize is the same we pay $30 a board foot for here in the states, primarily used for beautiful flooring. In Belize they use it for the ENTIRE structure, roof framing flooring and siding. Of course there are different grades.

Someone should always be onsite throughout your building process, daily inspections should be performed to circumvent the use of steel nails, uncured lumber, mistakes and design issues. A moisture meter while you are walking around the lumber yard would definitely keep unscrupulous builders on their toes--you can pack them or buy one at he home Depot in Chetumal.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tool … /100651808

If you are beachfront and a 20 ft tidal surge comes through any structure will be damaged. It pays to have hurricane insurance with any type of home build. Wood structures are cheaper, DO require some maintenance, BUT are easier, faster and less costly to repair int he event of damage.

DO be careful with concrete in Belize as some builders improperly mix which will cause it to fail. Concrete is also hotter depending where you are located--this leads to increased electrical costs due to AC usage.

I am travelling the 11th into Cancun and then onto Belize (Consejo Shores will be my first stop), I have traveled to Lebanon in the middle east this year and last year and prior years to Jamaica & Mexico. I bought a scooter and traveled all over the Yucatan looking for a place to settle--my conclusion--get as close as you can to Mexico without actually being there! Great place to visit/shop etc.!

I am looking forward to some feedback, I am by no means an expert on Belize and there are always exceptions to ANY rule!

how do you like Mayan Seaside?

Mennonite "shells" is what we are going to use. I will then finish them, I may use them to construct partition walls, porches but the rest my partner and I will do ourselves up to US/ICC codes. With Home Depot in Chetumal now it is a no brainer. You can order your kitchen and appliances for under a $1000 US I am not sure what the duty is  Toilets, sinks, faucets etc too. We do an extensive amount of tile work here in the US so for my place and the model we will tile showers and other areas. When I get boots on the ground I will share my experiences.

The next area of Interest would be used reefer containers you just bring it in on site and set it up and cut in appropriate doors and windows and plumbing electrical and Away you go

We have been kitting out our new built place in Belize went up to Chetumal in August, to compare prices. the savings on purchase were looking good until we factored the duty which was quoted as 30 to 40 % and cost of transporting them from Chet to where our place is in Belmopan it worked out that i could get a signifcantly better price for the  4 Hunter ceiling fans,  by getting them locally from Builders Hardware. The stove and Fridge freezer came in at slightly lower price, like for like brand wise with the total costs of bringing them from Mexico. Buying them from Courts locally. The stove is Whirlpool and fridge freezer is Samsung. Do not know if there would be discounts for buying multiple units that would bring those prices down in Mexico to make it worth the effort and hasstle. Forgot to price the laundry machines in Mexico but can manage with the plastic twin tub for a bit longer before I research that properly, I do know that the american brands for Automatic wash machines   do seem pricy in Belmopan.

Good info, thx. How about the duty free zone? Are there any similar stores there?

What  is a duty free zones?

Free trade zone at the border between Mexico and Belize.

Haven't been in many stores in the free Zone but mainly seemed to be  clothes and the cheap stuff you get in a dollar type store. But Only been in once and with a group who were looking for kids clothes, and holliday novelties and gifts, so don't know if they have white goods stores. Was not impressed with the few places i did see.

Love all the information.  Thanks all

Well, folks I had to buy before I travel, in Consejo Shores, they had another offer so first come first serve I guess. I am on my way to the bank to wire the deposit! Who are my neighbors down there? Please say hi. Lot 744 is where I will be.

For those building in Consejo Shores here is a link to the parks and roads website....  doesn't answer the question of the original poster but there is some information about owner obligations during building, renovating, etc.. also some cool pictures in the photo gallery.  http://consejopnr.wixsite.com/consejopnr

Folks here seem to imply all Mennonite builders are the same, or there is only one group.
Last July I had several hours extra on my drive to BZE so I went to Spanish Lookout to look around. First it is like entering another nice country without going through customs.  

Driving around I saw at least five different construction companies in several hours of exploring. Just by walking around looking at builds in progress and raw materials stacked around I could see drastic differences. As one would expect of any line of business there are poor, good and best to chose from.

So before throwing all Mennonite builders under the same bus, go have a look around, talk with them. Its a great experience even if you don't end up using any of them.

I agree. There are a number of builders that vary in workmanship. We have not selected a specific one yet but LindaVista seems reputable and consistent.
Spanish Lookout is like driving into Iowa or similar. A real difference from a lot of other areas in Belize.

Thanks, everyone, for the discussion here. We are strongly considering purchasing property in Consejo Shores and this is great information. My wife and I have 4 children ages 4 to 9 years old and this would be a great opportunity. We would love to talk to a few neighbors to get more information about the neighborhood and some of the challenges of building a house on the lot.

Are you in Serenity? I need info on a builder too. Would you mind sharing who you find or choose?
Thanks.

An estimated 40% of expats return back North when they decide Belize isn't for them probably best to rent for a while till you make that determination

Hi Tony,

If you are still looking for a builder, I can recommend you an excellent general contractor in Consejo Shores. He offers concrete prefabricated houses at a very competitive price, a smart alternative to Mennonite houses that give a lot of trouble and get costly in the long run.
His name is Frederic. You can check his website where you will find detailed information about the building process: newbuildingconcept.net. You can contact him at: frederic[at]newbuildingconcept.net.

Hi Larry,

If you are still looking for a builder, you can contact Frederic in Consejo Shores (frederic[at]newbuildingconcept.net) and have a look at his website: newbuildingconcept.net.
I own property in Consejo and Wagner's Landing and Frederic has done a good deal of work on my house. He has always given me entire satisfaction and I would not consider another contractor for future work on my home.
In addition to cement block houses, New Building Concept offers concrete prefab homes at a very good price.

Vance