My wife and I are people who plan. We set goals and have a clear vision of the end game. We set a start date two years out and broke ground on the exact day marked on the calendar. Partnering with Benjamin on our project, to say the least, was ideal. What made the process even more exceptional is that his wife, Ivannia, is now fully involved with the interior design portion of all projects undertaken by Paradise Homes. This dynamic team delivered a truly unique and memorable experience as they methodically and patiently brought our dream to reality.
The build process with Ben actually starts months before ground is broken. In our case, it was years. We got to know him and he got to know us. Understanding our tastes and goals allowed him to carefully guide us during the design process and dovetail the start date to accommodate our busy schedules all the while, keeping the project within an agreed upon budget. His budget updates were monthly and his continuous attention to international exchange rates paid considerable dividends.
Any project of this size will undoubtedly have a number of challenges. However, the design of Brisa Celeste had to entertain changes to the building regulations shortly before ground break. Additionally, there were challenges with increasing costs as a result of lingering COVID supply issues and we were confronted with an unforeseen situation with water availability throughout the entire build process. Ben and his team simply adjusted when and where required to keep things moving steadily along. Cool and collected. Communicating clearly and frequently. Always thinking outside the box.
When committing to a project of this size while living thousands of miles away it is imperative to have a project manager who can communicate well. This is an area where Ben truly excels. He embraces technology and fully utilizes it to ensure that both parties understand a process or a proposed solution. The execution is impressively displayed and explained in the many videos, stills, emails and texts that are sent throughout the entire process. And…he is always just a phone call away.
We show Brisa Celeste with immense pleasure and satisfaction. It is a testament to pride in workmanship and attention to detail. These are aspects that are consistently commented upon by all who visit and marvel at the completed product. These are aspects which ensure that a product stands apart from all others in the same category. These are aspects that Ben will not compromise on. His is an exceptionally professional process that is measured with patience and understanding. This is what makes Benjamin’s work so very special. We know that Ben and Ivannia are as proud as we are to show case Brisa Celeste.
A huge thank you to the Paradise Homes team!!
As the CEO and President of Coldwell Banker Costa Rica, I am privileged to share my testimonial for Ben Morris, the exceptional luxury home builder in southern Costa Rica. Ben’s expertise and distinguished reputation in the south pacific region’s market have made him a renowned figure in the custom home-building industry.
What truly sets Ben apart is his unwavering commitment to meticulous attention to detail and unwavering dedication to quality. He goes above and beyond to understand his client’s unique needs and preferences, investing time and effort into grasping their vision. Throughout the building process, Ben works closely with his clients, ensuring that their dreams are realized and surpassed.
One of the remarkable aspects of Ben’s work is the team of skilled craftsmen he surrounds himself with. They share his passion for creating exquisite homes seamlessly blending beauty, functionality, and durability. By leveraging the latest technology, incorporating modern design elements, and utilizing natural materials, they consistently produce breathtaking and functional spaces that exceed everyone’s expectations.
Having collaborated with Ben Morris and his team for many years, I have witnessed firsthand his unwavering attention to detail and dedication to crafting luxurious, customized spaces. From the initial design phase to the final finishing touches, Ben remains intricately involved every step of the way, ensuring that each aspect of the project aligns precisely with our client’s specifications.
It is worth noting that all members of Ben’s team are highly talented and skilled professionals, evident in the exceptional workmanship they consistently deliver. Their immense pride in their craft shines through, resulting in seamlessly integrated designs that embrace the latest technology, modern aesthetics, and natural elements, ultimately creating spaces that leave a lasting impression.
If you seek an extraordinary luxury home-building experience in southern Costa Rica, I wholeheartedly recommend choosing Ben Morris and Paradise Homes CR. With their expertise, dedication, and unparalleled attention to detail, they will transform your vision into a stunning reality that exceeds all expectations.
Having worked with many contractors, in the U.S. and in Costa Rica over the years, our experiences working with Paradise Homes has been, without a doubt, the best of all; better than we could have hoped for. Ben and Julian were exceptional, helping us every step of the way, from planning to securing permits, to setting up payment arrangements, to – most important – delivering consistently high quality workmanship.
Building a gated community from the ground up can be difficult under the best of circumstances, but doing so as we did, (very) long distance from our home in the US could have made the process even harder. Only occasionally were we able to travel to Costa Rica to view the progress on-site About the team, Juilan was involved in our project mostly “behind the scenes”, so our primary contact was with Ben Morris. We have found Ben to be extremely knowledgeable in the many facets involved in not only the building process itself, but in both architectural and landscaping design ideas and knowing how to navigate the many potential unique challenges of construction in Costa Rica. When the inevitable “surprise” would arise during the process, Ben showed great flexibility and would brainstorm to find the best way to work around challenging situation. He would often make suggestions that would improve our project “mid-stream” as a courtesy – even things that would end up making the job more difficult or time consuming for his crew, and unless it was something really major, would just get it done without adding on a charge. Ben is very communicative, responding quickly (and with great patience!) to our many questions, and shared many updates throughout the construction by sending extremely helpful videos showing how the work was progressing. Paradise Homes fees were very competitive, and very fair – actually a bargain considering the excellence of the final results!
Even though Paradise Homes was working on other construction projects at the same time as ours, Ben gave us the feeling that his total focus was on our job. It was such a pleasure working with Ben (and his team) – we were so impressed with how smoothy the process went, and with the final results, that we have started working on another construction project, even bigger than the first. Not surprisingly, our current project is going extremely well. We have zero doubts that anyone choosing to work with Paradise Homes will discover that they made an excellent decision.
Starting a huge project at the start of Covid could have been the WORST decision of our lives. Being from the northeast United States building in Costa Rica was a dream of ours. We have joked over the last year and half about how lucky we got landing in the hands of Ben Morris and his construction company Paradise Homes.
We began our build with Ben and it quickly turned into a perfect partnership – we immediately felt confident in our decision. We provided Ben with our ideas and needs as a family and he would come up with a variety of options. His ability to envision and lead us and his team through the construction and development of abstract ideas was incredible to witness. In fact the first 9 months of the project were done 100% virtually. The Costa Rican boarders we actually closed due to the pandemic. We looked forward to the almost daily videos where Ben would describe in detail what was being done and if he had any questions for us.
Ben and his team took the time to really understand our needs and style. We relied on Ben completely! With his experience of building these luxury style homes in Costa Rica, he helped us with every detail and selection. Building our dream home in southern Costa Rica with Ben has been a life changing experience. Ben’s knowledge and creativity helped our dream come true for us and our 4 young children. Above and beyond our expectations. Thank you Ben and Paradise Homes.
Ben, I want to personally commend yourself for the quality product that you deliver. You have set yourself ahead of the rest in our community as a builder, professional, and organizer.
It is so refreshing to see you planning your business and knowing that behind the scenes you are working your tail off thinking of your customers and their needs. You have no idea how helpful this is in the real estate sales process. No one else does this, just you. Builders (here) simply build, but you provide a full solution. Your new website is an example of your professionalism – well done.
Good on you Ben.. your success in Costa Ballena is clearly assured by the manner in which you work.
I met Ben Morris in San Diego 15 years ago. He was working for a reputable landscape architect firm, loved to surf travel and had a great work ethic. Timing was fortuitous as I had purchased the land and started to design a project for Tierra Pacifica in Guanacaste and desperately needed someone with his skill set to help through implementation. Ben was up to task, packed his bags and moved down there. In partnership with Doug Stern, Ben helped to complete the master design and implement the infrastructure, including the clubhouse, gym, pool, tennis courts, walking trails, that would become this beautiful community. In addition to this Ben helped to sell a majority of the 75 lots which were part of Tierra Pacifica.
Around 2005 we purchased a large piece of property in the Southern Zone and after several trips Ben fell in love with the area and decided to move. Since that time he helped us complete 2 projects, including the entire design and build out for Casa Big Sur and Tierra Verde.
Ben has great style, is passionate and trustworthy. If he tells you he will do something he does and finding all those traits in construction, whether in the US or in Costa Rica is not easy. I would recommend him for any construction project you are entertaining as he has built a team and the experience to execute on budget and time.
We interviewed seven builders in Costa Rica before making the decision to work with Ben. An artist myself, I knew that we would be incorporating some unique features into our home, and finding a qualified builder who was willing to work with my “creative” ideas was important to me. Although we haven’t completed our main house as of yet, we have completed our guesthouse, and are extremely happy with both the results, as well as the experience. Contrary to the stories we were told about the experiences of others building in Costa Rica, our experience has actually been downright enjoyable. Not only has Ben successfully overseen our project, he has been a wonderfully creative sounding board and advisor. Additionally Ben has a true passion for landscaping, cultivating gardens of unique species of plants to be used with his clients. The icing on the cake is knowing that while we continue the process of building our home, Ben is already brainstorming the landscaping plan. We are excited about completing the main house, as this is where our combined vision will come to fruition.
Although, personally, I am partial to the aesthetic part of the building process, we recognize the tremendous need for quality work in this environment. For that reason, it is absolutely critical, that not only your builder, but each and every member of the team be skilled, knowledgeable and reliable, as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I cannot begin to express how much we love our team. From the crew members who amaze us everyday with their skill and work ethic to Bobby our electrician who always seems to think of the questions before I ask them, we feel incredibly blessed. We have watched in amazement as Julian our architect inspects the work weekly, patiently making adjustments to the plan to accommodate the changes I have made to the original design. I am confident that his attention to detail will ensure the safety and stability of our home. . As I think about our team, I am reminded of the saying…”you don’t have to like your surgeon, he just has to be the best”. Although that may be true, it certainly is nice if they are the best, and you really like them too! I feel strongly that even though our project will one day come to an end, our friendships with these genuinely great guys will continue on.
Karen and I selected Ben Morris and Paradise Homes after interviewing several home builders in the area, based on his track record of quality construction, and good communication skills. The entire process from planning and design, through construction, and landscaping was a very challenging journey, that Ben managed with impeccable professional integrity. His team includes a professional architect and engineer, as well as highly skilled craftsmen for custom wood, stone, metal, glass, concrete, plumbing, and electrical works. Plants and landscaping are a big part of what makes Costa Rica special, and Ben has expertise with landscape design. We were impressed with the freedom to choose all of the finishing elements, such as tiles, counters, lights and plumbing fixtures. One of the special and unique aspects of this project, was our access through Ben to acquire custom wood and stone carvings from Bali, that were integrated throughout the home.
On the business side of the project, the finances were managed effectively by an escrow account service company, with monthly reporting on all expenditures. The progress of the project was reported regularly with video clips and photos using WhatsApp and email. Since we were not in Costa Rica during most of the construction, these communication tools proved crucial, especially for decision making. It was challenging for Karen and I to find common ground on many decisions, and Ben was able to guide us effectively through several obstacles. Some mistakes were made, and many design changes were implemented, all corrected and managed effectively.
We are happy to say that our home, Ballena Royale, is a masterpiece of construction, and we owe much gratitude to Ben and his dedicated team of workers. They helped us transform our dreams into reality.
Sincerely,
We have traveled through-out Costa Rica and fell in love with the Costa Ballena area. We planned on purchasing a home but after seeing the limited resale options available we decided to build a home. As a home builder in the US I was well aware of all the things that could go wrong especially in another county and after interviewing a number of builders and understanding the way contracts work in Costa Rica we realized we needed to really trust the builder we worked with. We found Ben because we were staying in a home he recently built and we were very impressed with the quality of the home. We hands down would recommend Ben and his team. From the beginning stage of designing our custom home right thru warranty work after completion Ben has always been accessible and followed the ought on getting the work completed. If we had to sum up our experience with Ben and Paradise Homes in one sentence it would be, our home was completed ahead of schedule and under budget and we couldn’t be happier. If we decide to build another home here we wouldn’t even consider working with someone other than Ben & his team.
We were out of country during our build and we visited only twice. Paradise Homes communicated with videos and pictures from the beginning stages of clearing land to tractor work, infrastructure and pool building. We were completely informed along the way! We picked finishes on our first visit during the build. We were also able to choose material that we have never seen before allowing the finishes to be originals. He is a detailed person With great relationships with product suppliers allowing us to get best prices in country. Ben was good about change order costs and advising of budget changes The Quality is incredible The Finishes are incredible We will work with Ben and Paradise Homes again. The process was seemless and flawless! Paradise Homes and Ben have built our dream home.
Sincerely,
I purchased a lot in February of 2020 and durning the trip down for the closing I met with several builders.
From my first communications, Ben was the first to respond to emails, first to confirm appointments, first to provide a budget, he made it an easy selection.
As Covid closed down the world, I chose to remain in Costa Rica and watch his team build my house rather than return to California.
After a thorough redesign of my existing plans, we were off and running.
Paradise Homes smoothly managed the entire permitting process and set up the site and broke ground May of 2020.
Every detail was reviewed with consistent communication and follow though, their insightful knowledge and years of experience building here in Costa Rica was evident.
Ben, the site manager, his administrators, the escrow company and the entire crew of craftsman made my house a reality as I moved in January of 2021.
Ben’s many contacts throughout Costa Rica, Bali and the United States made building with Ben a one stop shopping experience.
From furniture, fixtures, shipping, storage, insurance to large sculpture, ocean rocks, custom pots and landscaping.
Paradise Homes made building in Costa Rica easy, enjoyable and a great way to get through the pandemic.
Thank you Ben & Paradise Homes for making my dreams a reality
