How an American Built Her Home in Belize for $18,000--InternationalLiving.com

BALTIMORE, Jan. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In 2021, American expat Cristina Johnson built her cottage in the southern Toledo District of Belize, a predominantly agricultural region, for just $18,000—and did it in six days.

"If you can imagine living in a home that you designed yourself and watching it go up and come to life in less than a week, for $18,000, you can imagine the possibilities in this beautiful place I call home now," Johnson says.

This is Johnson's seventh year in Belize—where she moved to from Pennsylvania—and it will be her first full one in the tidy wood-build cottage she built in a village about three miles north of Punta Gorda.

"There were snags and glitches and heart-stopping moments," Johnson concedes, saying, "There was very little time to think."

Johnson explains that a couple years prior to the ground breaking, she sat down and began sketching out floor plans on simple graph paper with a pencil and ruler. Though she has no design training, she says, she knew she needed two things: A huge veranda and spacious kitchen.

"The rest didn't matter because those would be the two places I would spend most of my time."
Though Johnson says she hadn't come up with a final plan, she had decided the dimensions and had a local guy who she'd hired in the past to do odd jobs, set up the four concrete footings she would need to build on.

He, in turn, hired a couple of guys to help with the hard work of digging the holes and mixing cement, and a couple of others came and volunteered their expertise. In one day—and for about $200—the 12 footings were built.

"Then I went back to lollygagging around—doing a little here and a little there," Johnson says. "Bought some 8x8 Emery posts for my beams ($400). Had a friend build the concrete post for the electrical service entrance ($175). Got the hole dug for the septic tank ($100). Bought metal poles for my (eventual) fence ($125).

"But, as I went through my days in my rental house, enjoying my life and friends in Belize, the worst thing happened: I was laid off from my job as a marketing and content writer.

"Completely caught off guard, I had no idea what I would do. I could go back to freelancing, but I had been a direct employee for so long that my freelance portfolio was woefully outdated.

"Thankfully, I was offered a severance package from my former employer and that is what built my house."

At the same time this happened, Johnson says that a family she had come to know and love as her own experienced their own crisis and needed to build their own house, immediately.

"The mom, Abigail, is a traditional Belizean woman who stays home with the wonderful kids and generally manages the house," Johnson says. "The dad, Elroy, is a talented young craftsman who has spent his whole adult life building things.

"We put our heads (and resources) together and got it done.

"In the U.S., we say, 'scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours.'

"As Belizeans say it, 'hand wash hand.'"

Since she had more free time than Abigail and her family had, Johnson began ordering materials to be delivered to the rental she was living in, so Elroy could begin working on his young family's home.

"By ordering our materials together, we got a discount and, since I could use my severance, they could pay me back when they were able," Johnson explains.

"I ordered 37 wood louvre windows at the same time I ordered two sets of doors. I ordered from another district because the price was wholesale, so I got them at $17.50 each. Another friend delivered them to my house for free.

"Once the basics of their house were done (in just four days!), Elroy came to start on my house.
"In just six hair-raising, hot, sticky days, and with the labor of only three men, my 39x39, one-bedroom home was built, complete with a custom roof."

Due to her financial limitations, Johnson says she had to do post-and-beam construction with a minimalist approach.

"But my hardwood floors are stunningly beautiful (and the envy of every visitor), and my one splurge—two sets of gorgeous French doors leading onto my veranda—are what makes my beautiful home one-of-a-kind," says Johnson.

"The total cost—after I'd done the preliminary stuff like the electrical entrance, footings, and septic—was around $13,000. The cost of my property—which was owner-financed—was $5,000."
The weather in Belize is commonly known as tropical, but the month of November is when it starts to cool. That's when nights sometimes dip to the 60s F, and locals say they might dig a light blanket out from the shelf in the closet.

"Last November," Johnson says, "I happily snuggled into bed with my light blanket, clearly hearing the sounds of nature around me, and in utter disbelief that this was the first time in my life falling asleep in my very own home."

Life in this laid-back region of Belize is quiet, slow-paced and, as Johnson says, great value. "It's SUPER easy to live a very relaxed life here on $1,200 USD a month, as long as you're not wanting to live a grandiose lifestyle," she says.

Cristina's full story, including her building itinerary, can be found here: A Belize Home for $18,000

Editor's Note: Members of the media have permission to republish the article linked above once credit is given to Internationalliving.com
Further information, as well as interviews with expert authors for radio, TV or print, is available on request. Photos are also available.

For information about InternationalLiving.com content republishing, source material or to book an interview with one of our experts, contact PR Managing Editor, Marita Kelly, +001 667 312 3532, [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/internationalliving/
Twitter: @inliving — https://twitter.com/inliving?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/International.Living/

About International Living

Since 1979, InternationalLiving.com has been the leading authority for anyone looking for global retirement or relocation opportunities. Through its monthly magazine and related e-letters, extensive website, podcasts, online bookstore, and events held around the world, InternationalLiving.com provides information and services to help its readers live better, travel farther, have more fun, save more money, and find better business opportunities when they expand their world beyond their own shores. InternationalLiving.com has contributors traveling the globe, investigating the best opportunities for travel, retirement, real estate, and investment.

Media Contact

Marita Kelly, www.internationalliving.com, +001 667 312 3532, [email protected]

SOURCE www.internationalliving.com