Expat Community > Belize

mgammo
Joined 2016
Posts: 661

Construction in Belize

8 years ago

I went to Corozol as a solo Gringa female. I purchased a house with the intent of remodeling it. I noticed a Belizean contractor building a house next to where I was staying. I liked the guy a lot. He drew up a price for me and we agreed to what his job would entail. He was actually a good builder. One day , I drew a picture of what my vision was and his day workers studied it and exclaimed, OHHHH so this is what it is. As time went on, he started venturing off to other jobs, just like they do stateside sometimes. The long and short of it was he was removing supplies off my lot , which I payed for, and using them else where. His son had had a tragic thing happen to him, and I had reached out to him with kindness. The contractor was so ashamed, he started bringing my stuff back. I had to let him go before it was all over, but I had learned a lot from my experience with him.
I had another guy come work next for a while. He was an interesting cat from Oakland, Cal. His parents had belonged to the Blank Panthers in the 60's. He could cast concrete pretty well, but he stuffed my wall with wire which was faulty. It had dry rot I believe. I had to let him go but I managed to get his foreman to come work directly for me, I found my own electrician. He is a very sharp Creole man. He studies books all the time about electrical matters and knew how to wire a house according to US codes. He ripped back my zinc, metal roof and rewired my house with copper US wire. I found my own day wagers and ran the crew myself. A day wager in Belize works for 50.00 Blz per day. They arrive at 8:00 am, usually on bicycle and will knock off as late as seven if you buy them lunch. Most knock off at 5:00.
My primary man knew where to buy copper wire from the US, how to negotiate at Da Lumba Yahd, where to buy sand, concrete......One day I had ordered a yard of sand to be delivered. My man was irate they had chanced me. I said, I'm going to get my bucket over here and measure this supposed yard out to the level bucket. They made it right. I suspect, the owner may have had the correct amount on the truck initially, and the delivery boys could have made a side stop on the way over. I was learning the ropes quite well by that juncture.
I found the best way to garden was to haul in a couple truckloads of very rich, loamy, black soil. Most locals are glad to share whatever plants they have. I am good friends with lots of gardeners in lots of places down there.
All in all, it was a grand experience. I learned a lot of lessons from it and would do it all over again if my husband would sign off on it....
Knowing what I know now, I would probably buy about ten acres from a local down near the sea and build my own house on it.... I also would not rule out getting one of those prefabricated Mennonite houses made down at The Shipyard. Some of those are really nice and could be outfitted with a screen porch....
Any how, for what it is worth.....

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