Here is our list of the 4 things we hear most that people didn't know they needed in a Costa Rica home There are some things you just can’t learn unless you experience them first hand. You don’t learn math theory before learning how to solve for 2 + 2, for instance. Language is another thing that is best learned first hand. There are other things, though, that you can and should learn vicariously through others, and that if you don’t, could end up costing you a lot of money, effort, and headache. A very important topic in our field that is best learned through the experiences of others is: what makes for good real estate in Costa Rica. As a notably tropical country, warm weather in Costa Rics is something that most people account for. In fact, they are looking forward to it! What they most likely aren’t looking forward to is a stuffy home, mold issues, or a constantly tepid pool. On that note, here are 4 things you didn’t know you needed in a Costa Rica home.

It’s best to build a perfectly deep pool

Pools are something that are rarely uniform. In Costa Rica, pools are most often built to fit the shape of a space near the home that gets good sun and a nice view. People who buy Costa Rica real estate know that they will want to spend a lot of time cooling off in their private pool and enjoying the tropical setting. What Costa Rica real estate buyers may not know is that if you build a pool that is too deep (because you think you might want to dive sometimes), you might be in for a shock! Because that deep pool is most likely going to be cold, even in the hot sun! If you think that’s not possible in Costa Rica, you’ll be surprised to find out that you can feel cold here, too! The opposite goes for pools that are too shallow — a shallow pool may heat up too much for you to cool down in and it won’t be an appetizing thought to go in there. So what’s a perfect depth? About shoulder height on a 5’10 person. If you prefer a slightly cooler pool, try putting up a partial shade over top.

Outdoor kitchen owners are the envy of their neighbors

Those who are fortunate enough to build their dream home in Costa Rica will likely want to design a home that is similar in style to what they know. This likely means building a two story home with bedrooms upstairs and a kitchen and living room downstairs. Some people with a bit more foresight might recognize that as they age, they will want their home to be all on one level. But many new home buyers don't automatically think that they will want their kitchen to be outdoors. However, they will realize this fact quickly once they recognize that they use their BBQ a lot more frequently than they’ve anticipated. And that’s not strictly because they like char on their food. In Costa Rica, outdoor kitchens are preferred because cooking creates a lot of heat and if you are going to do it, it helps to have maximal airflow. It doesn’t matter how many windows you have in the house, a structure with walls is always going to be less breezy than the outdoors. Eventually, you will come to admire your friends’ homes who have their kitchens outside where they can share space with you while cooking and entertaining, too!

It might be right for you to face your home the “wrong” way

Speaking of breezes, home orientation is crucial to capturing the maximum of those ocean and mountain breezes. So rather than thinking that you want all of your windows pointing at the ocean view, once you live here, you will want your windows to be facing the direction that the winds most regularly blow. That means that if you want a breeze in your bedroom at night, you will want to be facing the mountains, which is counter-intuitive for those who dream of an ocean view property in Costa Rica. In the sunny afternoons of Costa Rica's high season, any indoor space with a window that’s facing the sunset will become hot and uncomfortable if not properly ventilated, which becomes less and less compensated by the beautiful view as time goes on. Think about it: are you going to be watching the sunset from bed most nights? Is it worth it to have the setting sun heat your bedroom just before you go to bed? The answer is no for some people and eventually you may decide that it's best to leave the views to be enjoyed outdoors and instead focus on capturing the winds and a bit of shady respite inside.

You will want more roof overhang than you ever thought you needed

Most people who visit Costa Rica, even if it’s for months at a time, will come during the dry season. Also known as the high season, this period between December to the end of April, is the most popular for tourism in the country. After which comes what we full-timers affectionately term ‘the green season.’ For all intents and purposes, it is wet between May and November. It may not rain constantly and, in fact, most of the days during this season will have sunny, bright blue skies. But there will be those hours in the day where it’s coming down in buckets. What helps most for comfort in this season is to have plenty of dry outdoor living space so be sure to plan a generous overhang for your roof. Even though the weather is a bit cooler, you will still want to be outdoors to enjoy the green foliage, the flowers, and the rejuvenating rains from a dry location. There is nothing more soothing than the sound of water falling nearby while swinging in your hammock with a tea and a good book.