Mérida’s Abandoned Colonials: Bargain-priced and Going Fast

There are many opportunities in Mérida to turn a house like the one on the left, priced at $40,000, into one like on the right. It’s slightly bigger, and under contract at $265,000.

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008
Merida, Mexico

Read more about Mexico in International Living Postcards—your daily escape

Many of the old colonial-style homes in the heart of Mérida’s historic center—some have been in families for generations—have been abandoned.

Chalk it up to the march of progress, but today’s Mexican family prefers new, modern homes…with updated electrical and plumbing systems, treated sheetrock instead of plaster walls that wick moisture, sprawling yards instead of tiled interior courtyards, and modern grocery stores and shopping centers a few miles away instead of a corner tienda (mom-and-pop shop) next door.

This suburban flight has left behind some stately relics that are attracting the attention of a growing number of U.S. expats who recognize opportunity. Venture into some of them and you will find paint-peeled and crumbling walls…rooms full of abandoned clothes, furniture, appliances…yards choked by garbage and weeds and rimmed by tumbling-down stone walls. Sometimes, bats, cats, and rodents have gained entry and left behind special gifts. This, combined with a damp mustiness and general darkness—electricity was long ago turned off—makes most would-be buyers turn and run.

But look closely and see the beautifully carved tall wooden double doors, the shuttered windows and wrought-iron railings that can be easily rescued, the colorful pasta tiles on the floor that just need a quick buffing…the arches, columns, courtyards, and hand-built stone walls that can be repaired and replicated. Think about where you can build your terrace and put your swimming pool...about the rooftop addition you can add…maybe a master suite and an outdoor shower where you can peer across the rooftops and church spires of this historically rich colonial city.

Around every corner in Mérida you’ll find a park, an arch, a colonnade, a façade that gives you pause. There is free live music in different parks every night and theaters where you can take in a play, the symphony, or the ballet.

If this sounds intriguing, so will the prices of the old colonial-style homes. You can find them for as little as $30,000. Labor and construction costs are low too—the average construction laborer makes $85 to $100 per week. Spend just a little and live in a comfortable humble home or spend a bit more and turn your pumpkin into a palace.

Keep in mind that there aren’t as many of these old homes at rock-bottom prices as there used to be. You will now find several already-renovated homes on the market. Understandably, some people prefer the renovation work is done for them, and I can empathize with that. A crew has been hard at work renovating our home in Mérida for many months now...too many, in fact. We are more than ready to move in. Despite our now-anxious anticipation, our expectations have so far been met: we have not spent a fortune, and we will have a showcase home when work is finished. So far, in fact, it has cost us less than expected…

Suzan Haskins
Latin America Insider, International Living

P.S. To explore some of the historic homes for sale in Mérida, see the following websites: Tierra Yucatan, Mexico International, and Merida Homes.

Editor’s note: If you would like to keep up to date with the best property bargains in Mexico, check out our Mexico Insider publication. Every month, our in-country expert, Glynna Prentice, finds new undiscovered areas ideal for a second home or a retirement destination.

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