The house of your dreams in Curaçao
Emigrate or buy a holiday home on Curaçao. Curaçao has no fewer than 107 different nationalities, so you are certainly not the first. If you are new to the housing market in Curaçao this can be very overwhelming. This article discusses a number of important points that you can take into account when deciding for a home on this lovely tropical island.
PATIENCE
An indispensable aspect when buying or renting a house, patience. Everything goes at the tropical, Curaçao pace. Information, contracts, contact, it all takes a little longer than you are used to.
Choose a neighborhood and then a house
When buying or renting a house for a long time, the neighborhood where you will live is very important. Where can you live safely? There are many different neighborhoods and resorts on Curaçao making this a difficult choice. Many people wish to live in a secured resort, but in principle this is not always safer than in the middle of a residential area with a lot of social control. This is a personal factor and the advice is to immerse yourself in the different neighborhoods and then make a choice based on your gut feeling.
Advantages of living at a resort:
- Secure
- Only destination traffic
- Children can play in the streets
Disadvantages resort:
- You are paying more than in a ‘normal’ residential area
- Resorts are often more remote
- Visitors can not easily pass by
There are many differences between the neighborhoods on Curaçao. So try to delve into the neighborhoods before you start looking for houses. Think about what is important to you, close to the beach or close to Willemstad? What is your budget? After this you can start looking for a house.
Inside out
The Dutch are used to living indoors. The living room is very important when buying a home in the Netherlands. Here on Curaçao you are basically living outside and a covered terrace is perhaps a more important factor. Be aware that in most cases you are mostly indoors when you are cooking or sleeping.
Which factors should you pay attention to? Initially, it is often a requirement that people want a swimming pool in the garden with a terrace with lots of sun.
If you live here on Curaçao or are staying for a long time, you will soon find out that that the pool is not used very often and requires a lot of maintenance. A swimming pool is a wonderful cooling off after a hot day, but over time the swimming pool becomes a natural factor and you are expected to use it less. In addition, there are many additional costs associated with maintaining the pool.
The terrace on the sunny side. Great for the holidays, but when you are living on Curaçao you are getting used to the sun and a nice fresh breeze is also nice. If you buy a house on Curaçao, there are several advantages to a terrace on the wind. First of all, the wind provides a wonderful cooling on a hot day. In addition, the mosquitoes do not like the wind, with a little wind you are immediately a lot less bothered by all the mosquito bites.
Alarm
Curaçao is not an unsafe island. The risk of crime is higher than in the Netherlands, for example. If you think wisely and don’t walk around the poor neighborhoods alone at night, the chance of feeling unsafe is a lot less. You can perform a security screening for your home, which will give you a good overview of the security of your home. It is also advisable to install an alarm system or to purchase a dog that will scare people away by its barking.
Curaçao is a car Island
Curacao is a car island. The roads on Curaçao contain many bumps, holes in the asphalt and poorly finished sides of the road. It is therefore generally not safe to walk or cycle to your destination. Facilities within walking distance such as the supermarket, schools or the beach are therefore generally less important.
Check, check, check
Have you gone through all the points above? In this case you probably have your wishes listed by now. What now? Then you will look for a broker, but you have to pay attention here. Before you start looking for your dream home with a real estate agent, it is wise to find out some background information. Anyone can become a real estate agent on Curaçao. It is a way to earn a lot of money quickly and that is why there are many brokers to be found. The quality of these brokers is lower and they are often after money. So make sure to choose a reliable broker who is willing to help you and not just sell to make a quick buck.
Don’t buy from a photo
A photo is not enough. Stop by the house you like so much in the pictures. It is an investment if you have to travel far but certainly a requirement. The photos are generally not of good quality. In addition, they do not give a good picture of the entire house. Visit the house to avoid surprises after purchase or rent.
In short, be patient, that is the most important factor in the whole process. Everything just takes a little longer than you are used to. When looking for a home, you will see where you would like to live. A secured resort or an ‘ordinary’ neighbourhood? What is important? The beach or the city? After going through all of this points, it is time for a reliable broker. One that helps you find your dream home. After finding a broker you will view the house, because you should never buy a house without seeing it in real life. For more questions about buying or long-term rental on Curaçao, you can always contact us.
