Home Design
288 posts on home design.
Do I need solar batteries, or is grid-tied solar enough?
Solar batteries vs grid-tied solar: net metering covers most homes,while batteries pay off for full-time living, rentals and off-grid properties.
· Read →Is solar actually worth it when building here?
Solar is worth it in the Riviera Maya for most homes: 300+ sunnydays, net metering credits, and much lower cost when designed in duringconstruction.
· Read →Can I finance construction in Mexico?
Construction financing in Mexico is limited for foreign buyers.Most projects are self-funded, which changes how you should budget and phase thework.
· Read →When does buying a finished home actually make more sense than building?
Buying a finished home makes more sense when move-in speed,an established neighborhood and predictable pricing outweigh full designcustomization.
· Read →Why do so many Americans and Canadians end up building instead of buying?
Why foreigners build instead of buying: design control, climateappropriate construction, modern infrastructure and quality the resale market lacks.
· Read →Is it cheaper to buy land and build, or buy a finished home?
Land plus construction vs a finished home usually costs about thesame. The difference is whether the house is built to today's standards from day one.
· Read →Is it cheaper to build or buy a house in Playa del Carmen?
Whether to build or buy in Playa del Carmen comes down to landcost and finish level. Building often matches resale while giving you design control.
· Read →In a hurricane, does the structure fail first, or something else?
What fails first in a hurricane is almost never the structure, it's theopenings. Windows and doors decide whether the rest of the house survives.
· Read →What specifically does concrete resist that wood can’t handle here?
Why concrete outperforms wood here: no moisture absorption, nowarping or rot, salt-air corrosion resistance, no termite risk, and it doesn't burn.
· Read →What hurricane-resistant standards should my windows and doors actually meet?
Hurricane-resistant window standards worth specifying: ASTME1996 debris testing plus wind-uplift engineering for a Category 4–5 coastal exposure.
· Read →Are large windows and glass walls actually safe in a hurricane zone?
Glass walls in a hurricane zone are safe when the glass is rated,protection systems are specified, and the assembly is engineered into the structure.
· Read →Why are custom windows actually cheaper and easier to get here than in the US?
Custom windows in Mexico are cheaper and easier becauseconcrete framing allows shapes wood framing can't, and local labor costs a fraction asmuch.
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