How are the homes in Nicaragua different than in the US or Canada?

Nicaragua has a wide variety of homes and they, in many ways, are different that those in the United States or Canada.  The similarities are self-evident…..walls, floor, roof, bedrooms, common areas.  But the styles can be vastly different, and with designs for different purposes.

 

Styles, for the most part are what we’d call colonial, Spanish colonial, or Nicaraguan provincial.  In Granada, for example, the colonial style will...

Nicaragua has a wide variety of homes and they, in many ways, are different that those in the United States or Canada.  The similarities are self-evident…..walls, floor, roof, bedrooms, common areas.  But the styles can be vastly different, and with designs for different purposes.

 

Styles, for the most part are what we’d call colonial, Spanish colonial, or Nicaraguan provincial.  In Granada, for example, the colonial style will include high walls straight up from sidewalk.  There will be doors along a series of connected walls along a sidewalk/street.  Each door covers the entrance to an interior courtyard, with flowers and trees growing inside what is essentially the house. The bedrooms, kitchen and maid’s quarters/laundry room surround the courtyard.   Some of the original concrete wall supports may be hundreds of years old, with layers of construction on top of each other.

 

In Managua, the Spanish Colonial (Mediterranean) styles include walls around a large home, making an estate.  The home will be constructed of concrete and steel, much like a commercial building in North America.   Most homes in the states are concrete slab, or on concrete supports, with wood construction (2x4 walls) sheetrock inside and brick, stucco, or clapboard on the outside.  Homes in the states may be subject to termite infestation, but this can be treated.  Because the potential for heavy infestation, builders in Nicaragua construct with concrete and steel columns, with heavy headers (over doors and windows) and then use concrete block for filling the walls.  Most of the roof in the states are plywood or OSB (oriented strand board) which make up the decking, and then covered with tar paper and then covered again with shingles.  In Central America, the joists are usually steel, covered with metal or a type of corrugated fiberglass, and this has the look of roof tiles.   In Granada, and many of the beach resorts, the roof tiles are hand-formed tile, and give an old world look to the completed homes.

 

Beach areas have varied looks, and in the development where I live there is a style called Nicaraguan provincial as in the picture above.  This allows for long, low rooflines and very large front terraces and back porches.  The homes sometimes have a maid’s quarters attached to the laundry or kitchen areas, giving the family space to enjoy without have worry of meal preparation or laundry activity.  All in all there are many “Spanish” styles, and home sized from 800 sq. ft. to mansions of over 6,000 sq. ft. on several levels.  

Beachfront properties in Nicaragua are cheaper than in the US, but they are equally beautiful. Beach communities have a laid-back lifestyle. Gran Pacifica, like most beach communities, has a golf course attached to it. There are also little shops around these communities where basic necessities can be bought, so expats won't have to drive to the nearest city to get what they need. However, for most groceries and supplies people will have to drive to the larger towns/cities

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Beachfront properties in Nicaragua are cheaper than in the US, but they are equally beautiful. Beach communities have a laid-back lifestyle. Gran Pacifica, like most beach communities, has a golf course attached to it. There are also little shops around these communities where basic necessities can be bought, so expats won't have to drive to the nearest city to get what they need. However, for most groceries and supplies people will have to drive to the larger towns/cities

 

There are coastal communities on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua where you can buy properties in gated communities varying from condos to beach houses There are property developments well underway at Tamarindo Beach. Other property developments include:

The city of Granada is just like any other city in Spain where the most prominent homes are always closer to the center and the less desirable neighborhoods are the ones that are farther away from the plaza.

 

The city is getting bigger and is starting to extend further out, so the government is now putting more money into the infrastructure in those areas that used to be considered not ideal for living. I have been working in Granada for eight years now and...

The city of Granada is just like any other city in Spain where the most prominent homes are always closer to the center and the less desirable neighborhoods are the ones that are farther away from the plaza.

 

The city is getting bigger and is starting to extend further out, so the government is now putting more money into the infrastructure in those areas that used to be considered not ideal for living. I have been working in Granada for eight years now and I have seen a lot of differences then and now. There used to be no roads and no sewage, but now that the city is moving forward, I see new roads and new sewage systems. Even the old and unpleasant looking neighborhoods are now looking better.  The roads are now paved. The houses that were not paid much attention to are now being fixed by the local Nicaraguans who own them.

 

My market is now changing because we now have more Nicas coming back from Costa Rica, Los Angeles, and Miami and they are trying to buy homes in Granada. I have more Nicaraguans looking at my website and checking out my listings. A lot of the Nicaraguans who have left the country and went to places like the US are now looking at moving back, and they are bringing their money with them. Some of those places in Granada that were not as nice before, are now being upgraded by people who are bringing in money from other places who are actually native Nicaraguans.

 

There is also another group of Nicas who are married to expats. These people are maybe 60 to 70 years old now and are similar to an American couple trying to leave the States because they don't have a lot of money and their budget is too tight, so they try to put their budget somewhere else. The only difference is that they are from Nicaragua, so for them to make the decision of living here is easier because they know the place. In my opinion, the confidence in our future in Nicaragua is much stronger now than it was before; otherwise, nobody would put more money in the country like today.

 

In the States, you will be expecting to pay $300,000 to $400,000 for a house, but then you realize that you do not have the budget for it, so you start looking into other places where you can get a decent house to live in. In Nicaragua, you will find houses for $85,000 and on top of that, you will pay less tax. Nicaraguans are not as demanding as Americans are in quality or style. Houses here have the same four walls, the same roof above their head, the same windows and door, and a toilet, the only difference is the price.

The homes in Nicaragua are different than the ones in the US or Canada, relative to a number of factors.

The homes in Nicaragua are different than the ones in the US or Canada, relative to a number of factors.

The homes in Nicaragua do not have centralized air-conditioning and heaters, but there are also big homes here that are like the ones in the US. 

 

What you will not find here in Nicaragua are buildings. There are a few buildings. Nicaragua is very similar to Miami because if you see Miami, most of the homes there only have one floor and you will not see a lot of buildings. It is the same here in Nicaragua. Most people here in Nicaragua have homes with...

The homes in Nicaragua do not have centralized air-conditioning and heaters, but there are also big homes here that are like the ones in the US. 

 

What you will not find here in Nicaragua are buildings. There are a few buildings. Nicaragua is very similar to Miami because if you see Miami, most of the homes there only have one floor and you will not see a lot of buildings. It is the same here in Nicaragua. Most people here in Nicaragua have homes with only one level.  

 

(One story Nicaraguan home with colored plastered walls, pictured.)