Building a Home in Belize Brought Ray’s Family Back Together

Ray Nelson was living in Las Vegas, his father in Britain, and his mother in Australia. All three were living alone. His parents had divorced years earlier, remarried, and since lost their spouses.

When Ray decided to retire to Belize, he wanted them to come too.

“I thought, let’s just bring the family back together again.”

He bought two neighbouring lots in Mahogany Bay and worked with architect Cooter Ramsey and Graniel’s to build his house and a duplex for his parents. His brother bought a home a few doors away and joined them for a time.

For anyone considering building a home in Belize, Ray’s experience offers some useful things to think through: how to turn household needs into plans, where to spend more, how to handle changes with a builder, and what support might be needed once everyone moves in.

Those decisions began with a fairly simple wish. He wanted to enjoy his retirement and see his parents every day.

From Glasgow to Las Vegas

At 18, Ray moved from Glasgow to attend Northern Arizona University on a track scholarship. He stayed in the United States, became a citizen, and eventually played rugby for the US national team.

After two years as a volunteer firefighter in California, he joined the Clark County Fire Department in Las Vegas. He spent 20 years there as a firefighter and medic, working at a station just off the Strip. Sometimes, a 24-hour shift meant no sleep at all.

When he became eligible for early retirement, he had a pension and other income. He knew he did not want to stay in Vegas.

He discovered Belize on vacation. He had not been working through a shortlist of retirement destinations; he had never visited Panama or Costa Rica. He liked the people he met and could imagine living there.

“I don’t like uptight people. I don’t like stress.”

In Mahogany Bay, he met Will, Dustin and members of the team. He researched property and sold real estate in the United States to help pay for his plans in Belize.

“I’ve taken leaps all my life,” he says.

What to settle before the house plans

Ray gave Cooter a brief for both properties. His own house would have open spaces and accommodate furniture he wanted to bring from the States. His parents needed single-storey accommodation because they could no longer manage stairs.

They were divorced but got along. A duplex next door would give each of them their own space while keeping everyone close.

That arrangement is worth considering if you are moving with family. Sharing one house, occupying separate homes on neighbouring lots, and living in a duplex create different levels of privacy and proximity. Deciding how you want to live together gives the architect something more useful than a bedroom count.

Ray thought the first design was a little bare, but it gave him something to work with.

“He gave me a good skeleton.”

He sat down with Cooter to discuss additions and changes, and spoke with his parents about their preferences. The plans developed around those conversations.

For someone planning a retirement home, his parents’ accommodation provides a specific example: stairs were already a problem, so a single-storey layout was a requirement from the beginning. If you are planning for older relatives, describe their everyday needs to the architect before approving a design.

Where Ray chose to spend more

Ray chose concrete over wood because he was concerned about insects and the upkeep he associated with a wooden house in Belize’s climate. Concrete cost more for his project, but the proceeds from his US properties allowed him to pay the difference.

He no longer remembers the amount clearly enough to give a useful price comparison. What he remembers is intending to live there for the rest of his life and being willing to spend more on the construction he preferred.

His experience raises a useful question for anyone comparing proposals: what will each option require of you after the house is finished? Ask the builder to explain the maintenance involved in the proposed structure, exterior finishes and exposed woodwork, alongside the initial cost.

Ray’s choice reflected his priorities and budget. It should not be read as a promise that concrete eliminates maintenance or makes every part of a house immune to pests.

Working through changes with Graniel’s

Ray is happy with the finished homes, though there were details he wanted corrected during construction.

He describes minor discrepancies and things he was unhappy with. He raised them with Graniel and discussed whether they could be redesigned or done differently. According to Ray, Graniel was receptive.

“I could tell him what I liked, what I didn’t like.”

That willingness to discuss changes mattered. So did Ray’s ability to say clearly what he wanted.

For someone preparing to build, this is something to establish before work begins: who receives your questions, how changes are agreed, and how you will know whether a change affects the price or completion date. Ray does not describe the paperwork used on his project, but keeping agreed changes and their costs in writing gives both sides a reference.

His own description of the relationship is less formal: be “easygoing, but firm with what you want.”

Account for the furniture and finishing work

Ray brought much of his furniture from Vegas, then worked with Graniel on pieces that would complement it. He wanted the rooms to look good without spending excessively on the finishing work.

One request mattered particularly to him: a living-room display for photographs from his firefighting and rugby years.

“I wanted to be able to display that,” he says.

Graniel customised the work around what Ray wanted. The house could accommodate the belongings he had brought, with additional pieces made to suit them.

If you intend to bring furniture to Belize, decide which pieces are coming while you are reviewing the plans. Give the designer measurements for large items and explain where you expect to use them. That allows the layout to account for what you own before construction is complete.

It is also worth asking exactly what the builder’s price includes. Cabinetry, shelving, wardrobes and other fitted pieces need to be identified in the scope, along with any furniture being made separately. Ray’s interview does not provide an itemised budget, so his experience cannot tell us what those additions would cost on another project.

What it does show is that the work continued beyond the structure itself. He and Graniel discussed how the finished rooms would function and what was worth adding.

Plan for life after moving in

Ray wanted his parents to have less to worry about as they grew older. Living beside them meant he could visit easily, but he also arranged practical help.

He hired a company to look after the garden and employed assistance with shopping and household tasks.

By the time of the interview, his father had passed away. His mother was still next door. Her home helper was living in Ray’s casita with her husband, providing regular company and assistance, while Ray visited in the mornings and afternoons.

For families considering a similar move, those arrangements belong in the planning conversation too. Who will handle shopping, gardening and household upkeep? Will anyone need regular assistance? If someone helping the household will live on the property, where will they stay?

Ray’s arrangement describes domestic help and companionship; it does not establish the availability of nursing or medical care. Those needs would require separate research.

He hoped bringing his parents to Belize had made their later years more comfortable than living alone on opposite sides of the world.

“Even no matter how fragmented it might have been in the past,” he says of his family, “somehow it’s just worked out all right.”

Would the everyday life suit you?

Ray still goes fishing or scuba diving occasionally, but he is content with a fairly predictable day. He sees his mother, visits his local bar, and reads a book or the paper. He knows the staff and regulars. Most nights, he is in bed by eight.

“I’m a simple man. I want a simple life.”

He does not assume everyone would enjoy it. He has known people who came to Belize, stayed a year or two, and decided to leave. His advice is to accept the culture and be honest about whether the pace suits you.

Before committing to a home, spend time considering the ordinary week you would have there: errands, transport, company, family responsibilities and the things you enjoy doing. Ray found a routine he liked and built his plans around it.

There were administrative hurdles, including government and immigration procedures, but he considers the effort worthwhile.

When we suggest that he gets to live his perfect day every day, he agrees.

“Every single day.”

For him, that usually includes going home to have dinner with his mother.