By Wendy Anders

Looking to purchase a home or property in Costa Rica?

Guanacaste in the country’s northern Pacific region sports many beach towns that have become havens for foreign residents to set up a second home, a retirement home, a business, or a combination of these.

Before you buy, it’s advisable to get the local scoop on some basics. And things considered basics back home are often entirely different here in Costa Rica.

Guanacaste’s bilingual regional newspaper, La Voz de Guanacaste, put together a very useful list of 10 things to consider when looking to buy property in the region.

1. Is the approved for a specific land use?

The municipal government can look up your lot and tell you what uses it is approved for whether those be residential, commercial, agricultural etc. and what types of buildings are permitted.

2. Is it next to a river?

Rivers are often highly desirable to build next to. Take note that in Costa Rica you can’t build within 15 meters of the riverbank in rural areas, and within 10 meters in an urban area. Also, ask around about any seasonal flash flooding, as even the driest looking area in summer can get water- logged in the intense tropical rainy season, and some areas are prone to regular flash flooding.

3. Is the property located on a water table?

Guanacaste has suffered from water shortages in recent years, and the water tables are mapped to protect them. Those classified as highly vulnerable can not be built on, so if your lot is on one of these, you won’t be given a building permit. The municipality can verify this information for you.

4. Are there endangered trees on the property?

If you think you need to clear out trees to build on your property, you will want to check with a knowledgeable source as to whether any are endangered. Cocobolo, Guanacaste and Pochote trees are among those considered endangered in Costa Rica, and they can only be cut with a permit from the Environmental Ministry, which may be granted only if you can prove the tree represents a danger (for example it is old and may fall).

5. Garbage collection

Not all districts in Guanacaste have curbside trash pickup. If you’ve never hauled your own trash to a dump, you may not want to add that complication into your idyllic new life.

6. Drinking water

You want to check with the municipality on the availability of potable water in the area you want to build, because many areas have sever water shortages, and permits for wells are highly limited and even unavailable in some areas.

7. National routes or roads

Roads can take a long time to build in Costa Rica; we’re talking decades. Which means there are properties that have been tagged for the routing of a regional or national road. So even if you don’t see any highway nearby, double check to see if yours just might in some distant future be slated for a tollbooth. The National Roadways Council (Cosevi) has maps of planned roadways, and the municipality can also help.

8. Zoning plans

Zoning plans are fairly new to Costa Rica, but all regions are expected to have them drawn up. Ask at the municipality about how their zoning plan may affect your property.

9. Want to building on or near the beach? Understand the 1977 Maritime Zoning Law 

Costa Rica’s “Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo-Terrestre – Ley Numero 6043” regulates the ownership and usage of beach front property; the regulations are administered by each local government. All beaches in Costa Rica are public, and land within a certain distance from the beach has restrictions on what can be built and by whom.

10. Do the neighbors know the owner of the property you have your eye on?

We all hope it is a thing of the past, but unfortunately there have been cases in recent years of some shady property deals in which lawyers have sold properties to foreigners when the property’s legitimate owners are out of the country, unbeknownst to them. By asking around a little on your own to find out if the property is actually for sale, this very unfortunate experience can be avoided.

Taking these things into consideration will help your purchase of property in Guanacaste go that much more smoothly!