Updated photos and information on the Web

Check out our new website, designed by my two younger daughters and given to me for a Father's Day present. It is really cool: http://casadebell.com

Casita de Bell rental agent

These units can be rented. Please visit www.atenascostaricaapartments.blogspot.com for information.

Casita Finished!

We spent two weeks in late December putting finishing touches on the interior and the landscaping of the Casita to get it ready for the first tenants in January. The pictures show our progress from the day we arrived to the night we left.

The Casita - Almost Ready to Move In

The only thing we are waiting for at this time is the installation of the cabinets and wood trim. Because of his attention to detail, John has been a little slow in completing the job - BUT, when you see the quality of his work - I'm sure you will agree that it will be well worth the wait.Within the next two weeks, the cabinets, appliances, window treatments and furniture will all be in place.

John just installed this door Friday that opens to a very large storage room under the stairs to the upper unit. In Costa Rica, the more storage area you have, the better. That is because us crazy Expats tend to bring much more than we need to live here.

These are the patio areas off the living area and are large enough for just lounging and enjoying the view to the South of the Central Valley.

This is the view I am talking about - Like it?

This is the living area of the lower unit. There is plenty of glass area to give one a feeling of being out in the open while inside.

Here we have the newly installed fan in the bedroom of the lower unit. The solid wood closet is also completed and installed.

Now, a couple of shots from the balcony area..

Very soon - I will show you pictures of the fully completed Casita and Rancho. Then - we will show you the great pool Luis is building and the landscaping the will be done. I'm sure you will like it...

The Rancho - Almost Completed

We are almost at the point where both the Casita and Rancho will be totally completed. The only major thing left to do is the installation of the cabinets and wood trim. This is expected to be finished November 5th. All of the appliances will be delivered about the same time to ensure proper fit. The furniture will be delivered and set up the first of the following week. Then, we will work on the window treatments and decorations. Take a look:

 This is the counter/sink area for the Rancho. The front will be covered with a rich wood door treatment and Keith intends to put a small fridge beside it to hold refreshments for the many guests that will be visiting.

This door leads to the pump room for the pool. It is very large and will also serve as a storage room for the lawn equipment.

On the back wall close to the door, you see a tall gray area. This is going to be an outside shower using the same tiles that will be used for the pool.





 

Look at the beautiful ceiling that Luis did for the Rancho. The beams are what we call Almando (almond), and they are very, very hard. The wood inserts are made of Laurel, which is an excellent wood that will last forever. Please notice how the fan is mounted. Luis made a custom mount from the Almando beams.

The door to your left was custom made by John Rojas and it matches the interior doors of the Casita. This door leads to a very large bathroom for Keith and Marina's guest to use will outside enjoying the great weather we have here in Atenas.


By November 5th - Everything here will be completed except the tile for the outside shower. However, Luis has just started on the pool and expects it to be completed by the first of December. Stay Tuned.

Phase Two - The Rancho

In Costa Rica the Rancho is a very, very important part of the outdoor living area. It's the place where people gather to relax and have a good time. The Rancho we are building for Keith and Marina will be very nice. As you can see, Luis is very fast at building nice things, and is about ready to start putting the roof in place. This Rancho will host a separate bathroom, outside shower, pump house for the pool, large patio area with facilities for outdoor grilling and seating areas. In addition, it is situated right off the new pool they are going to build for friends and family.

 Luis is pretty far along with this project and it should be completed in about 3 weeks. - Stay tuned..

Casita Almost Completed

We are at the point of almost being finished with the casita. The windows have been installed, all the ceilings are finished and Luis is in the process of installing all the light fixtures.

In addition, Omar has the alarm system installed and ready (see the motion sensor in the corner of the wall at the ceiling).

All of the tile and sinks have been installed. Now we are ready for all the cabinets and closets that John Rojas is working on and should have installed before the end of this month. The preferred method for building cabinet bases in Costa Rica is to use concrete for the base and cover it with wood. You will soon see that John's woodwork is outstanding.

This is the view from the kitchen of the upper level



























This is the sink that we are using for the bathrooms
















Now comes a very important part of the process for me. This is because I suffer from Vertigo and in need of protection when higher than 3 feet off the ground. - Yep the railings for the stairs and upper floor that Biron has just installed and boy am I happy about that. - he has done an outstanding job and all the railings are very solid.

Looks pretty good don't you think? - We are now only a few weeks away from moving in. However, Keith needs to come here and pick out the furniture - Think he may enjoy that :-)