- Thread starter pularvik
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Cost for architecture plans
Many years ago, but I know a person who built a home and paid 5% of the value of the villa for the plans.
My sister-in-law and her husband in November of last year paid RD$175,000 for a set of plans for a big house. IIRC it's a 4 bedroom 5 bathroom 2 kitchen 2 living room etc etc in Santo Domingo proper. They we're offered the service of plans and project management for 10% of total cost of the project or just the plans for above listed price. In this case the costs of the plans is about 1% the cost of project cost. This sounds like a good rule of thumb.
My wife and I are building a small home for her mom, roughly the same size as you and we paid $170,000 for plans. My wife received a referral from a friend currently building a house using this same architect and we have been very happy with the work.
My wife doesn’t want to do a Dominican bank loan so we are building it in stages, the Dominican way. I am curious to know, once Dominican families start there home builds in stages, what is the average time to completion….??? Would appreciate feedback from what you have seen…
The speed of completion is directly related to the family's income. The more quickly the funds are available, the faster the build. Often the first floor gets built years before the second.
This is correct. All about how much money they have. My wife's brother took two years to build his because he would supervise the construction when he came from the states once or twice a year and in his case time was the problem ot money. He is a contractor in the states so did all the electrical, plumbing, and cabinets himself.
Oh you’re so right. And hit a nerve. We bought 15 tareas in late 1970s. Mr AE’s brothers farmed it, mostly onions, tomatoes, etc. At some point, mid 1980s, WITHOUT TELLING US, my mother-in-law decided to start a house. She lived in Santo Domingo and wanted someplace to go stay from time to time. Someone got a grant of blocks, did the foundation and started interior and exterior walls. After that was done, it was SURPRISE! We weren’t happy with either the house or the location. She had them build it close to the southern side if the property. Why? So she didn’t have to walk so far to visit the neighbor. 😳. It was done in stages, took years because we (unbelievably) had no input. Someone owed one brother money, and didn’t have it, but he was a well driller, so we got a well. I remember we paid for the roof, the windows and the ceramic tiles. Which they chose. It took years, done piecemeal. Some construction things got stolen. After it was finally finished, MIL spent weeks at a time there.
We never stayed there. We did spend many days there, but we left each evening. All the neighbors thought it was her house, or the oldest brother’s. They found out it was ours when the deslinde sign went up on the gate with Mr AE’s name on it.
About 14-15 years ago, we began renovating and have built 3 extensions (large new kitchen, new master suite and a 35x20’ raised covered terrazzo). All the windows were replaced, with screens, which “stops the breeze”. Couldn’t do anything about it not being centered on the lot, haha. It was a personal affront that we modified “her” house.
Id never ever build anything else there. Not Dominican or American style.
My sister in-law same thing. Building in stages. The "shell" was up for a while (2 story) then they started with the flooring, windows, patio and front porch area. And that is the stage it has been for a while. One of the issues I think is that she went too big. So of course, more money. Because it has been done in "stages" it seems there is always something they need to go back and fix or adjust because of the time passed. The house was built on land we own. At one point the family wanted me and my spouse to "buy" and complete the house. That was a no go for me because again the house is too big, and not something I would want to live in.