9 Questions With Nicaraguan Home Builder Wesley Tiffer

Building a home is an expensive purchase. Finding a qualified home builder in Nicaragua isn’t an easy task. Selecting the right builder is key in the journey to your dream home.

On October 13, 2018 – less than 6 months after breaking ground – Wesley Tiffer of Ground Breaking Industries handed us the keys to our new home.  He managed to complete construction one month ahead of schedule and on budget.

Choosing Wesley as our builder was the right decision.  And it is with great pleasure we introduce you to him today!

Read ahead for our 9 questions with Wesley Tiffer.

Can you tell us a bit about how you ended up building homes in Nicaragua?

I had a background in home construction in Canada. When I wanted to build a home for myself here in San Juan del Sur in Pacific Marlin I thought who better to build it than me.

Starting to build here was like going to university all over again. I learned a lot on that first project. The knowledge I gained was put to good use when I built a second home for myself on the beach in Playa Marsella.

I didn’t plan on becoming a builder in Nicaragua. But when an American couple saw my house in Pacific Marlin they asked me if I would renovate their home.

Looking back that was a pivotal point.

I continue to learn the ways of building here. But it isn’t just different techniques and climate that take getting used to. It’s also understanding and learning to adapt to the cultural differences. Especially when it comes to your crew.

5 1/2 years ago I met my partner Graciela. And 2 1/2 years ago we made the decision that I was going to stay in Nicaragua full time. I decided to go ahead and start a construction company here.

We have often heard it is difficult to find skilled labor in Nicaragua. How were you able to overcome that challenge?

Luckily many of the crew members that helped me build my personal homes were available for hire. They had a head start with understanding my Canadian building standards and way of working.

Morning meetings with my crew are often discussions about the best way we can complete the day’s tasks, as opposed to me just telling them what to do.

As with any successful business you are only as strong as your team. I am thankful to have such a great crew.

How much does it cost to build a home in Nicaragua?

Many people think it costs much less to build a home in Nicaragua than it actually does. You can certainly build a simple basic home fairly inexpensively. But in my experience this isn’t what most people want.

There are many factors that determine the overall cost to build a home in Nicaragua.

1. The finishings of the home can change the price exponentially.

2. The slope of the land you’re building on is also a major cost consideration. Cutting into land and building retaining walls can add 20% to 30% to your overall cost.

3. If you need to drill a well, add a septic system and run power lines (or install a solar system) this also drives overall cost.

Often times these are things many people don’t think about when choosing a lot to build on.

When talking about cost to construct the home itself $80 to $100 USD per square foot is a realistic amount. Appliances and furniture would be extra.

On average how long does it take to build a home in Nicaragua?

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Designing the home, waiting for structural plans from the architect, obtaining building permits from the city and/or development can sometimes take as long as the actual home construction.

Clearly the size of the home is a major determining factor in how long it will take to build. But a 1500 square foot home like Gordon and Elisha’s typically takes 5 to 7 months to build.

There are a couple of important aspects to maintaining a tight timeline.

Money is a big one. If money is not on hand for the builder to order material and pay the crew and subcontractors the project can come to an abrupt halt.

And here in Nicaragua it often takes some time to get materials. So buying and ordering ahead of time is key.

The client being available to communicate daily — sometimes multiple times per day — can also make a big difference in how long it takes to complete a project.

What is it you think is the greatest challenge that comes with building a home in Nicaragua?

It’s couple of things.

Every house I build is completely custom. I’ve never build the same house twice. Throughout the course of construction there are literally hundreds of decisions a client must make. This is magnified when clients undoubtedly make design changes on the fly.

But also when the client believes the way of building in Nicaragua or the way of doing business in Nicaragua is the same as it is in their home country. It is nothing like that at all.

What was the biggest challenge you faced with construction of Elisha & Gordon’s home?

The space constraints were the biggest challenge with Elisha & Gordon’s project.

I like to keep my work sites safe, clean and organized. Elisha and Gordon’s lot is small and so we had to get creative.

Luckily we were able to use the neighbor’s vacant lot to store some supplies. But we were constantly moving materials to make space to build the home, which consumed time.

How do you make sure that the seemingly overwhelming process of building a home is easy for your clients?

Constant communication. Being responsive. Video calls with demonstration of how things fit and work. Sharing pictures and videos of our progress. These are all things I do to make the building process easier for my clients.

Many of my clients are out of the country for part of their builds. At times we have to be very inventive.

We were recently hired to build a pool for a client who was out of country. They weren’t exactly sure what size to go with. We staged “the scene” and put our “actors” (crew) to work on a little skit for a subsequent video call.

We started by roping off the area where the pool would be. Some of the crew pretended to be sitting on a bench sipping Toña, while others pretended they were swimming. This allowed the client to see exactly how much space they had.

In the end the client decided to make the pool larger. When they returned to Nicaragua and saw the pool in person they were relieved they did.

Sometimes you just have to stage the scene to be able to visualize. Funny thing is I think my team secretly looks forward to their stints of improv acting.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about building a home in Nicaragua?

Be diligent about who you have build your home. Check references. Completed projects that are more than a year old are a good barometer to gauge the quality of the construction.

I see construction as a triangle made up of time, quality and money. A great builder will try to stretch all three to their maximum. But in the end an inevitable balance will be reached.

For example if you want to lower your budget you will have to give on the quality of the finishes. You may even need to expand your timeline. And if you want to build a high end luxury home you will need to be prepared to open your wallet further.

I pride myself on transparency with my clients. Constant communication helps fine tune this delicate balance while maintaining clarity on the intended outcome.

You’re incredibly busy and hardworking. When you have time for yourself and your family what is it you like to do?

I love being able to disconnect from work. Enjoying quality time with my wife Graciela, my 8 month old son Matthew and my step children Nicole and Fernando is key. In addition to working as a builder I’m also a professional jujitsu fighter. Between family and training this is how I like to spend my free time.

That’s 9 questions with Nicaraguan home builder Wesley Tiffer.

To view more photos with detailed descriptions of our build — starting with land purchase through to completion — head on over to our Facebook page.

Building a home in Nicaragua? Looking for quality work at competitive prices? We believe you could not do better than Wesley Tiffer.