I am building myself a house in the North near Sosua. I have been watching other construction in the area and its slow moving. I was going to put in the foundation and walls. They said 6 to 8 weeks. My Dominican novia would watch them, since its for both of us. I charged all the material on my credit cards. Week 7 I get a call that I need the final payment. I was shocked, really shocked. These guys worked. They had all the material they needed and they finished it fast. WOW.
- Thread starter Jimmydr
- Start date
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
My house in the campo........
Jimmydr said:I am building myself a house in the North near Sosua. I have been watching other construction in the area and its slow moving. I was going to put in the foundation and walls. They said 6 to 8 weeks. My Dominican novia would watch them, since its for both of us. I charged all the material on my credit cards. Week 7 I get a call that I need the final payment. I was shocked, really shocked. These guys worked. They had all the material they needed and they finished it fast. WOW.
This is the 1st positive comment regarding Dominicans that I see in DR1. We shall have a thread dedicated to the "good things" of this people and country.
palmiche said:This is the 1st positive comment regarding Dominicans that I see in DR1. We shall have a thread dedicated to the "good things" of this people and country.
I agree that as a whole the board seems to see the glass as half empty as opposed to half full. I personally have read many other positive comments though. Read AZB's post on "The best auto mechanic in Santiago". Even though he finally found a good one, he made a point of letting us know what he went through first.
Having said that........ It is almost a certainty that the crew that built Jimmy's house was predominantly Haitian, with a Dominican Maistro. At least that's usually the case in small construction projects on the North Coast.
I am happy to hear of your good experience. Just to let everyone know...for future reference there is a lot more to building a home than just blocks, cement, and rebar. You have to take into consideration...was the cement mixed proportionally correct...were the blocks layed correctly...the builder can build it fast and dirty or he can build it slow and clean. You have to know what you are watching. Are they doing it correctly or just trying to get it done in order to get paid. Jimmy...it sounds like you knew what to look for...and that is great. But others out there need to be sure not to be naive. Have a friend that knows what to look for and have them check the work on a regular basis.
Tired of Dominican bashing also!
You get what you pay for and you reap what you sow! Many ex-pats are famous for being cheap! They don't understand the language, the culture, the laws or anything. They bumrush into situations thumping their chests and they do the same thing when dealing in business. Don't blame the Dominicans because you are ignorant and they take advantage of the situation.You would certainly do the same thing to them if they waddled into your place of business speaking in Spanish or broken English making ridiculous demands! Blame yourself! Yes, if you know what you are doing, speaking the language at least half decently and showing respect and some patience you will find many many reputable Dominicans. But..... what was I ranting about a couple of lines back? This is where the problems lies!
Getting back to JimmyDR's house I am happy for him. He seems to get his way around respectfully and you can see the great progress he has experienced!!!
You get back what you give!
You get what you pay for and you reap what you sow! Many ex-pats are famous for being cheap! They don't understand the language, the culture, the laws or anything. They bumrush into situations thumping their chests and they do the same thing when dealing in business. Don't blame the Dominicans because you are ignorant and they take advantage of the situation.You would certainly do the same thing to them if they waddled into your place of business speaking in Spanish or broken English making ridiculous demands! Blame yourself! Yes, if you know what you are doing, speaking the language at least half decently and showing respect and some patience you will find many many reputable Dominicans. But..... what was I ranting about a couple of lines back? This is where the problems lies!
Getting back to JimmyDR's house I am happy for him. He seems to get his way around respectfully and you can see the great progress he has experienced!!!
You get back what you give!
Last edited:
Yes they did a great job. I am now putting the roof on as soon as it stops raining. He said 4-5 weeks so I better be ready to pay.
jimmy,Jimmydr said:Yes they did a great job. I am now putting the roof on as soon as it stops raining. He said 4-5 weeks so I better be ready to pay.
I know you well enough to know that you are respected by the Dominicans and treat them well. This is what I am talking about! Treat people with respect and you will be treated well in return. Yes, you must still walk around with your eyes and ears open. There are sidewinders everywhere not just where you think they may be.