Full Disclosure
I’m not a real estate agent, and I don’t pretend to play one on the internet. This might sound backwards compared to what you’ve been taught, but I don’t believe a house is a financial asset in the jungle — I believe it is a liability. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t own a house in the jungle. I own a house in the jungle. However, there are important considerations when building or buying a house in the jungle that are often overlooked.
My second disclosure is equally important. Based on my observations, I don’t fit the traditional expat profile. For that reason alone, you shouldn’t blindly follow everything I suggest. The purpose of this post is to share lived experience of jungle living in Belize, especially the parts most people don’t see until it’s too late. Take what resonates, discard what doesn’t, and weigh it against your own lifestyle goals.
For context, I live in a wooden house. I have never lived in a concrete house, and I have no interest in doing so. That said, most of what follows applies regardless of construction style, because the jungle environment treats all houses harshly.
Take what resonates, discard what doesn’t, and weigh it against your own lifestyle goals.
During a visit to Placencia, I saw this house.
Partly amused, partly shaking my head to see such a house here in Belize
I couldn’t help but think I had arrived in Florida
Size of the House in Relation to Value
North America: Bigger house, bigger resale value. With enough work and upgrades, you can make an older home can be made to feel new again.
Jungles of Belize: The jungle climate and tropical sun are brutal on everything. House maintenance in the jungle is constant, not occasional.
- Twice as much upkeep, twice as much paint.
- Wooden houses deteriorate faster in heat, humidity, and sun exposure.
- The jungle lifestyle already requires significantly more effort just to maintain property.
- With a lot of work, you still won’t make an old jungle house look new.
Exterior Maintenance of the House
North America: You hire pressure washing, painters, roof cleaners, and maintenance services.
Jungles of Belize: Mold and algae grow at exponential rates. I personally hand-wash the roof, eavestroughs, windows, exterior walls, and deck. Exterior paint fades quickly and needs regular reapplication. Most professional home maintenance services in Belize are limited or nonexistent.
Size of House in Relation to Living Space
North America: Bigger houses make sense because people spend most of their time indoors.
Jungles of Belize: Life happens outside. Houses are primarily used for sleeping, eating, and escaping the rain season. Outdoor living in the jungle replaces indoor square footage.
Size of House in Relation to Owning Stuff
North America: Big house equals more storage and more possessions.
Jungles of Belize: Humidity causes metal to rust and everything else to rot — quickly. Everything eventually ends up in the garbage. On top of that, bringing stuff into the jungle is costly and time-consuming.
Labour Reality (Not Just Cost)
North America: Money buys convenience.
Jungles of Belize: Even if you can afford help, reliable, skilled labour is inconsistent. Many jobs still fall back on you, regardless of budget.
To help understand living in Belize costs visit Belize.com
Climate as an Active Enemy
North America: In many places, you can leave your house for a year, and at most, the grass grows out of control.
Jungles of Belize: The environment is not passive. Sun, rain, insects, fungi, and plants are constantly trying to reclaim the structure. A jungle house is not “set and forget.” It requires permanent state of decay management.
When planning your home, it doesn’t hurt to to Scorpion-Proof Your House either.
Psychological Load of Ownership
North America: Hold a house long enough, and it’s expected to appreciate.
Jungles of Belize: A large house creates mental weight – peeling paint, unfinished projects, and looming repairs. Jungle living already demands discipline and resilience. A smaller house significantly reduces background stress and decision fatigue.
For more information on expat living in Belize, check out https://www.expat.com/en/guide/central-america/belize/
Granted, not traditional expat homes, but nonetheless how houses end up over time
My Story: Learning the Hard Way
I bought my house in 2003, a simple ground floor, 700 square foot with one bedroom, an open concept kitchen and living room, and a bathroom. The interior was unfinished. It was the perfect size. At the time, I visited Belize sporadically for vacations. The house was built by a Canadian couple who became my property managers for the house.
At some point in 2013-14, I received an email informing me that the roots of a large Guanacaste tree behind my house were pulling it apart in three different directions. Their solution was to dismantle and rebuild the house in sections, raise the house four feet off the ground, and add a wrap-around deck. Who doesn’t want a wrap-around deck?
In hindsight, the smartest response would have just messaged back to let the house cave in on itself, and I would have dealt with it once I moved to Belize full-time. Instead, I approved the rebuild while earning good money — from 1,900 miles away. Shortly after construction began, the Canadian dollar collapsed, and like most renovation projects, the scope tripled. Side note: Never have a house built or renovated if you cannot be present.
The interior size barely increased, aside from a small loft, but I ended up with a costly, yet visually impressive, jungle house – fully finished and wrapped in decking. From the outside, it looked five times larger than before.
By the time the house was finished and the final bill arrived, I hated my house. Even before I arrived in November 2021 to live here full-time, I received an email about how the whole exterior already needed a new coat of paint! It also wasn’t until I arrived to live here full-time that I grasped the magnitude of the cleaning and maintenance the house would require on top of the full-time job, just to keep the grass cut and the jungle chopped back.
Before settling in Belize, I had lived six and a half years as a long-haul truck driver, then spent two years cycling across Canada to get to Belize, all while living in a tent. I would have been perfectly content in a 100‑square‑foot cabana – cheap to build and easy to maintain. Instead, I found myself resenting a house that was supposed to be a dream.
The reality is that the interior of the house is not huge. I host fellow cyclists regularly, and it’s a good size to host someone. I began to realize that I should consider myself blessed to have a roof over my head, and hating my house over spilled milk wasn’t going to help. So, I changed my attitude. But changed attitude or not, it was the worst financial decision I’ve made.
This simpler, easier-to-clean, and maintain house
Became this. Ten times the expense and work
Why Jungle Houses Break North American Logic
Most people arrive in the jungle carrying a mental framework built in suburbs and cities. In North America, a house is a controlled environment. The land is cleared, the climate is predictable, services are available on demand, and deterioration happens slowly. Time works in your favour. With maintenance and upgrades, a house can be preserved, improved, and eventually sold for more than you paid.
The jungle operates under a completely different set of rules.
In the jungle, the environment is not neutral. It is aggressive, constant, and relentless. Sun fades paint in months, not years. Humidity seeps into everything. Mold and algae don’t appear — they arrive. Insects, fungi, and plant growth are always testing the structure. A jungle house here is never “finished.” It is in a permanent state of defence.
North American logic assumes that money buys convenience. If something breaks, you hire a professional. If maintenance piles up, you outsource it. In the jungle, this assumption collapses quickly. Skilled, reliable trades are limited. Materials are inconsistent. Even when you pay, much of the labour still falls back on you.
Size, which is a selling point in North America, becomes a multiplier of problems in the jungle. Every extra square foot increases exposure to sun, rain, insects, and decay. Every added wall, deck, roofline, or system creates another failure point. Bigger houses don’t age gracefully here — they deteriorate faster and demand more of your time, energy, and money.
Resale logic also breaks down. In North America, larger homes attract more buyers. In the jungle, large custom houses appeal to a very narrow audience. Most buyers are looking for location, simplicity, and manageable upkeep — not square footage. Overbuilding doesn’t guarantee higher value; it often guarantees higher regret.
Perhaps the biggest failure of North American logic is the belief that a house represents stability. In the jungle, stability comes from adaptability. Smaller, simpler structures are easier to maintain, easier to repair, and easier to live with when systems fail, weather turns, or life changes. Complexity reduces resilience.
A simple, and clutter-free living area is essential for jungle living
| Factor | North American Housing Logic | Jungle Housing Reality (Belize) |
|---|---|---|
| House Size | Bigger house increases comfort and resale value | Bigger house multiplies maintenance, decay, and labour |
| Maintenance | Occasional upkeep preserves value | Constant upkeep is required just to slow deterioration |
| Climate Impact | Weather is mostly passive and predictable | Sun, humidity, insects, and plants actively attack structures |
| Labour & Services | Money buys convenience and skilled trades | Reliable labour is limited; much work falls on the owner |
| Living Space | Life is mostly indoors | Daily life happens outdoors; house is basic shelter |
| Owning Stuff | More space encourages long-term storage | Humidity, rust, and rot destroy possessions quickly |
| Vacancy Risk | Homes can sit empty with minimal impact | Empty houses deteriorate faster and attract pests and theft |
| Resale Expectations | Larger homes appeal to more buyers | Large jungle houses appeal to a very small buyer pool |
| Mental Load | Ownership feels stable and predictable | Large houses create constant background stress |
| Best Strategy | Build big and upgrade over time | Build small, simple, and adaptable |
Tiny Homes and Small Jungle Houses
A tiny house won’t work for everyone, and we do have a rainy season that can keep you stuck indoors for extended periods of time. But I do recommend that for living in the jungle that you consider the smallest house possible.
A large house
- Costs more to build
- Costs significantly more to maintain
- Requires constant cleaning
- Encourages buying possessions that will rot anyway
- Deteriorates faster when left empty due to rodents, insects, humidity, mould, and theft
A small house
- Costs less to build
- Costs less to maintain
- Requires less cleaning time
- Saves money on construction
- Saves money by limiting unnecessary possessions
Property buyers should budget for transfer taxes, legal fees, and annual property taxes to avoid surprise costs when buying a home in Belize.” — https://www.belizeanstudies.com/info/how-much-does-a-house-cost-in-belize-property-prices/
Two tiny homes that I have built on my farm in various states of completion
The first one is 10ft x 12ft with a 4ft x 10ft porch
The second one is a bit larger at 12ft x 12ft with a 4ft x 12ft porch
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a house an asset or a liability in the jungle?
In the jungle, a house functions primarily as a liability, not a financial asset. Tropical climate, humidity, insects, and constant maintenance cause structures to depreciate rather than appreciate. While land may retain value, jungle houses typically require ongoing time, labour, and money with little resale upside.
Is land in Belize a better investment than the house itself?
Yes. Land in Belize can be an asset, depending on location, access, and legal clarity. The house built on that land is usually not. Many people mistakenly combine land value and house value, but in jungle environments, structures often depreciate even when land holds steady.
Do concrete houses last longer than wooden houses in the jungle?
Concrete houses may resist insects better, but they are still vulnerable to humidity, mold, cracking, and fading. In the jungle, construction material matters less than size, simplicity, and exposure. Larger, more complex houses — concrete or wood — require significantly more maintenance over time.
Why do larger houses fail in jungle environments?
Larger houses fail because every added square foot increases exposure to sun, rain, insects, mold, and decay. More roofline, more walls, more systems, and more paint all multiply maintenance demands. In jungle conditions, size compounds problems instead of adding value.
Can a jungle house be a good rental investment?
In limited tourist areas, rental income is possible. However, most rural jungle houses are not reliable investments. Vacancy, security concerns, rapid wear, and constant maintenance often reduce profits. For many owners, rental income offsets costs rather than generating long-term returns.
Is it better to build a small house and expand later in the jungle?
Yes. Starting with a small jungle house reduces risk and preserves flexibility. A large house cannot be made smaller, but a well-planned small structure can be expanded if needed. This approach lowers upfront costs, maintenance burden, and long-term regret.
What do people underestimate most about owning a house in the jungle?
People underestimate how much personal labour ownership requires. Money does not buy convenience in rural jungle areas. Skilled labour and services are limited, and many maintenance tasks fall back on the owner regardless of budget or experience.
Should I avoid owning a house in the jungle altogether?
No. Owning a house in the jungle can be worthwhile if expectations are realistic. A jungle house should be viewed as a shelter and lifestyle tool, not a financial investment. Small, simple, and adaptable houses are far more sustainable than large, complex builds.
Foreigners can own property in Belize under the same terms as locals, but understanding transfer fees and legal requirements is essential when evaluating long‑term property value.” — https://www.belizeanstudies.com/expat/can-you-own-property-in-belize-foreigners-real-estate-guide/
A tiny apartment I built inside my greenhouse – 150 sq ft
(including an outdoor compost toilet)
I built it to possibly rent my main house out and move in here.
Key Takeaways
A house in the jungle is not a financial asset — it is an ongoing liability that demands constant time, labour, and money.
North American real estate logic does not apply to jungle living; size, upgrades, and resale value behave very differently in tropical environments.
Bigger houses multiply problems in the jungle, increasing maintenance, exposure to decay, and mental stress.
The jungle environment is an active force, constantly working to reclaim structures through sun, humidity, insects, mold, and plant growth.
Money does not buy convenience in rural Belize; reliable labour and professional services are limited, regardless of budget.
Outdoor living replaces indoor square footage, making large interiors unnecessary for daily life.
Owning more stuff accelerates loss, as humidity, rust, and rot eventually destroy most possessions.
Smaller, simpler houses offer greater resilience, adaptability, and peace of mind in jungle conditions.
Overbuilding locks you into regret, while starting small preserves flexibility and future options.
A house in the jungle is a tool for shelter, not a store of value — and should be designed accordingly.
We live in a world that celebrates material accumulation. If you’re choosing to live in the jungle, chances are you’re trying to escape many of those false pathways to happiness. A large house can never be made smaller, but a well-planned small house can always be expanded if truly necessary.
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