The Expat Files

The Insider’s Tricks To Building a House In Latin America: - Building standards... if you don’t set them quite high right off the bat your contractor will set them the usual 3rd World way, and you’ll be sorry. - Chronic moisture problems... how after 500 years of building in the tropics, the Latin contractors still can’t stop a simple leak. And that means you’ll either have to train them yourself or grab a bucket and join in with the bailing. - Latin irony #2345... how water damage can be good for tourism (say what?). - A few more little things that drive expats nuts (especially women expats)... like closet mold that eats leather shoes...., and how to stay relatively sane and avoid such minor disasters. - Why you should keep clear of local paint brands and waterproofing agents, and why written guarantees are a joke.