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Building a Home in Granada

Some people asked me to chronicle the building of our new home in Granada. At first I thought it was a good idea but after thinking about it I thought it might be a bit boring, have you ever watched a home being built? It is like watching paint dry except slower. The second reason it might not be a good idea is that with too much detail, other builders would probably comment or criticize how we are doing it. So I will just mention major events or major failures as they happen.

A brief history. We have lived about eight years in a large colonial home on Calle Santa Lucia. We really enjoyed living there but we were ready for a change to a more tranquil setting with panoramic views yet close to the city. Our dogs have been demanding  a rural environment where they can run free when they please. It took quite a while to convince Amy since she likes being able to walk to her studio and to the bars and restaurants. Since she had decided on the last few homes we have lived in, she conceded that I should be able to make the decision on the next one. After all, we had first come to Granada to see a farm that was for sale and we ended up buying our colonial home eight years ago.

My needs were simple. I wanted more outside area for the dogs and possibly some other animals. When I wake up I want to see a vista from our bedroom window. So we bought a lot and a small farm half way between Granada and the Laguna Apoyo. Go west on  Calle Xalteva past the Fortaleza de la Pólvora and a few hundred meters further you turn left where they built the 150 small homes. Follow that road for about a kilometer then turn right on the new road. Our lot is about 100 meters further on the left. Our new home will be less than two miles from Granada central.

It is mostly pasture so we will need to plant a lot of  flowers and plants. Probably will put in wooden posts along the perimeter with barbed wire but with plants to hide the fence. Animals still graze in that area. The land is about 400 feet higher than Granada so it is a bit cooler and certainly breezier. The lot is about 1.2 acres though the farm is almost five acres. I like the vistas since six volcanoes can be seen (including Ometepe), all the major churches in Granada, most of Lake Nicaragua, many of the Granada islands, Chontales Mountains and of course, sunset views. Photos of the views follow below.

We will be the first to build in this area but we hope some of you will consider building your home there. In that way we can have neighbors and share costs such as the cuidador, maid and perhaps Internet service. There are nine lots available around us and I think they are asking $35,000 for one acre lots and I am still looking for someone who wants to share the farm. How large of a lot could you get in Granada for that much money? The road is in, electricity is in and the water tanks and pipes are being laid as I write this.

The house plans are also shown below. It is bigger than we had originally planned because we wanted a 2nd floor master bedroom with a large balcony and we wanted plenty of storage which you do not usually find in the colonial homes of Granada. For example the laundry looks very large but we will have many racks there to be the pantry for the kitchen. The kitchen itself is rather large but Amy insisted that is where people will gather. I wasn’t aware that men gather in kitchens. To me, a kitchen is like a bathroom, only to be used when the requirements dictate.

Myself, I plan to spend a lot of time on the front porch and we have two trees perfectly spaced for the hammock. There will be a small pool out front with a palapa for the BBQ. Yes, life should be a little quieter there but it may be difficult to get friends to visit since so few have vehicles.

We have just received the final costs and the contract to build. The first shovel of dirt could be moved in the next two weeks. As major accomplishments occur or major disappointments develop, it will all be reported here. One thing I will not report directly will be the costs since half of the builders here would state they could do it cheaper and the other half would say no way it could be done for that little in a quality manner.

Let the games begin!

Darrell Bushnell

 

Just double click on the photos to see a clearer rendition.

Second Floor

Second Floor Master BR

First Floor

First Floor

side view 1

Side facing west

 

Farm Side view 2

Eastern side of home with garage.

farm overview

Overview of home, pool and palapa.

farm front view

Front view of home.