Building Your Home in Turks and Caicos
Many people investing in Turks and Caicos choose a plot of land in a good location with the idea of getting a foothold in paradise now. When considering building a home for retirement or family vacation on that land, one of the questions they ask is:
Is it a good idea to buy now and have my house built later?
Yes. This is really an exceptionally good idea. Land appreciates very quickly here, and since there are no land taxes in Turks and Caicos, buying land here is a carefree investment. A land purchase provides good capital appreciation with no worries or further expenses until it is time to build.
Who do I need to build my house?
When building in TCI, you must use a local contractor or someone with a work permit.
Having a good architect from the beginning is essential as s/he can advise you through all the stages of the buildling process and help with your choice of contractor, as well provide counsel on environmental variables such as prevailing wind, water supply, landscaping etc.
Due due the geographical differences with Britain and the similarity to Florida the Building Code chosen here is similar to the Dade County Building Code which takes into consideration hurricane-prone tropical weather in their building regulations.
Considering
that all building materials must be imported, costs are high. Your
local architect can advise you on ways to minimize costs and avoid
costly mistakes. S/he is used to working with the trades and contractors
and understands obstacles to supply delivery that might hold up construction.
A locally based professional body known as Turks and Caicos Architects,
Surveyors and Engineers (TCASE) consists of licensed professionals
who have a common goal of maintaining high professional standards.
They can be contacted at 946-4670 or 946-4238.
The most commonly used method for building in TCI is steel-reinforced concrete and block construction. This method constructs a home that is hurricane resistant and is easily built with available skilled labour. Costs of building a new house here on Providenciales vary from about $200.00/sq foot to $500.00/sq foot depending on the type of finishes that you choose.
Please contact
me to give you a list of recommend
architects and contractors that would best suit you building goals.