Most property sold in Costa Rica is defined in terms of hectares and square meters. This can be a minor but irritating stumbling block for investors who may be more used to thinking of property and structures in terms of acres and square feet.

While it is true that a meter is roughly equivalent to a yard, a square meter is not, in fact, equivalent to nine square feet.

Why?

One meter measures approximately 39.3 inches; that is to say, 3.3 inches more than a yard. When the meter is squared, those extra 3.3 inches make a considerable difference–one square meter is actually very slightly more than 10.75 square feet–a figure worth knowing when discussing construction areas!

Similarly, property areas are generally given as a combination of hectares and square meters. One hectare is, conceptually, a square measuring 100 meters on each side. (While there is no such thing as a standard city block, Costa Ricans generally use “100 meters” and “one block” interchangeably so a hectare is, in many peoples´ minds, about the size of a city block.)

In precise terms, a hectare equals 10,000 square meters. This is equivalent to 107,639 square feet, or 11,960 square yards. Perhaps most usefully, one hectare equals approximately 2.5 acres (use 2.471 for a more exact conversion).

Most land surveys give the area in a combination of hectares and meters. The key in this case is to remember that 1 ha = 10,000 m2, so a property that measures, for instance, 2ha150m2 has an area of 20,150 square meters in all.

Consult one of the many free online conversion utilities (Online Conversion is one) to quickly convert between any combination of these units.

Very few of us would buy a home or a piece of property sight unseen in our own countries, but a surprising number of people will go ahead and commit to international property listings over the Internet without ever visiting the site.

Granted, it can be hard for a foreign investor to arrange an on-site visit to a property that may be remote or undeveloped. Many buyers don´t speak Spanish, and may plan to rely on local help to survey, develop or subdivide and, in many cases, resell the land.

Ideally, the investor should visit the property personally, walk the boundaries, talk to local residents about property values, ask about any tendency to flood in the rainy season, inquire as to the reliability of public services, etc.

If a personal visit is not practical, a trusted local representative can be the next best thing. Ask other foriegn property owners to recommend an English-speaking lawyer, surveyor or real estate agent who might be willing to travel to the property, talk to the locals and, if possible, the seller, and take some digital photos of the land, the view, the boundaries, the neighborhood or surrounding area, any existing structures, and any other items of interest.

In addition to reducing the risk of outright fraud, an on-site visit can confirm that the property matches the seller´s description, that the boundaries are marked and maintained, and that the land has not been taken over by squatters. These are all issues that can arise even when a seller is acting in good faith, if he or she has not kept up a presence on the land or arranged for a local caretaker.

With the remaining portion of his retirement, Bob purchased a large portion of land, which he subdivided, thinking he could build a house on one lot, sell it, build another on one of the remaining lots, sell it and then have a nice nest egg with which to build his own house (at very little cost considering it would be built with the profits made on the other two houses). He contacted an architect a tico friend of his had grown up with, but with whom the person no longer was in close contact. The architect drew up plans, eventually got the necessary permits (not because of city delays, but procrastination on the part of the architect) and construction began. The contractor was someone recommended by the architect. The construction crew was inexperienced and lacked guidance. The foreman bought excessive amounts of materials, leaving Bob with leftover steel, wood, cement, tile, etc. – several thousand dollars worth. The architect withdrew money from Bob’s building account and quit. Construction overruns were several thousand dollars and Bob’s house remains unfinished. What was once a healthy retirement account is now invested in two costly, unproductive investments. Bob is emotionally and financially destroyed.

Anyone planning to buy or build in Costa Rica should ask around and check out several references of prospective attorneys, architects, builders and developers. There ARE excellent, legitimate professionals around, but they must be weeded out by diligent research. Don’t ever assume that the “bad guys” will get caught and punished by the government or their colleagues. Don’t assume that the friendly person you are talking to is honest. You are on your own. Beware.