1. SEED in 60 Seconds
Just want the basics?
A very short explanation of what SEED does, why we start with your property and the different ways your home can be built.
SEED Homes LatAm Menu
How SEED Works
How do you go from an idea to a finished home in Panama?
Start with your property, the way you want to live and the budget you are comfortable with. Then work out the right home, the right way to build it and the real project cost.
You do not need finished plans before you speak to us. A location, photographs, a sketch, a plan you found online or simply an idea is enough to begin.
Your first consultation with SEED is free.
Talk through the project before deciding whether to go further.
There is no obligation, and you do not need finished plans. Bring the land, ideas, plans, sketches, photos, questions and budget you already have. We use that conversation to understand what you want to build, discuss likely budget and building options, and decide whether SEED and the project seem like a sensible fit.
Choose how much detail you want
Start short, read the practical guide, or go straight to the full reference.
Everything is available from this page. Choose the level that suits you, or jump straight to the question you want answered.
2. Quick Guide · You are here
Want the practical overview?
Property, design, building methods, costs, Project Development and how the project moves forward — without the full-reference detail.
3. Complete Reference Guide
Want the full detail?
The detailed reference covering property, costs, building options, payments, permits, remote building, problems to avoid, FAQs and more.
Or go straight to your question
What do you want to know?
What should I know about my land? What will my home really cost? How should my home be built? Do I need finished plans? When does detailed paid project work begin? How does the project move forward? How do construction payments work? Can I build while living overseas? What commonly goes wrong? Is SEED the right fit for me? Who is behind SEED? What should I do next?
The simple way it works
Free first consultation → Understand your property → Develop your home → Work out the real cost → Prepare the project → Build → Complete your home
The important point is that the big decisions become more specific before you make the much larger construction commitment.
1. Your property
Why do we start with the land before locking in the house?
Because your land can change almost every decision that follows.
We look at access, slope, drainage, views, sun and wind, water, electricity, septic requirements and any existing slabs, roofs or structures. We also look at how building materials, trucks or larger structural sections can reach the site.
The same house can be simple on one property and unnecessarily expensive on another. Moving the home a few metres can sometimes improve the view, reduce excavation, simplify drainage and make construction easier.
If you are still deciding whether to buy a property, we can also talk with you before you commit. A beautiful piece of land is not always an easy or economical place to build.
2. Your home
Do you have to choose one of our models?
No. You do not have to choose a fixed model.
You may like one of our current SEED concepts. You may already have plans. You may have screenshots of homes you like, a rough hand sketch, or just a list such as: two bedrooms, a large kitchen, covered outdoor living, a workshop and the best possible view.
We work with you to develop a home around your property, your lifestyle and your budget. We also think about what makes a home comfortable in Panama: covered outdoor areas, ventilation, heavy rain, sun, storage, practical kitchens and bathrooms, materials that suit the climate and how you expect to use the home every day.
The point is not to force your life into a standard product. It is to work out what makes sense for you.
When two builders quote a price per m², are they measuring the same thing?
Not necessarily. In Panama, patios and other outside areas are often included in the advertised size of a home. We prefer to show the numbers separately wherever the drawings allow it: enclosed interior area and covered exterior areas such as patios or terraces.
Ask whether a quoted square-metre rate is based on enclosed interior space only or on a larger total that also includes patios, terraces, carports or other covered outside areas. Exterior space normally costs less to build than fully enclosed rooms, so including it in the total can make the apparent price per square metre look lower. Compare like with like: interior area with interior area, and exterior area with exterior area.
3. How your home is built
Is factory preparation always the best way to build?
No. We choose the building method after we understand the property and the home.
Factory-prepared structural core + local completion
Part of the main structure is prepared in a controlled factory environment and completed on site in Panama. This can improve control and reduce some weather exposure when access and design suit it.
Hybrid construction
Some parts are factory-prepared and other parts are built locally. This can give useful flexibility when only part of the home is suited to factory preparation.
Mainly local construction
The home is built mainly on site in Panama. This can make more sense on steep land, difficult-access properties, highly customized homes or projects where local construction is simply the better fit.
Factory preparation is not automatically cheaper or faster, and local construction is not automatically better. Access, design, site conditions, logistics and budget can all change the answer.
4. Cost
What should you budget before there is a final design?
For early planning, we currently use approximately US$1,615 per m² — about US$150 per ft² for an average finished custom home under normal conditions.
A simple example is 100 m² × US$1,615/m² = approximately US$161,500.
That is a useful starting point, not a fixed quotation. The biggest variables are usually slope, retaining, excavation, difficult access, foundations, drainage, utility runs, home size and complexity, kitchens, bathrooms, cabinetry, finish level, specialist work, transport, pools, driveways and landscaping.
What is normally part of a straightforward finished home?
Main house construction, normal foundations, roofing, windows and doors, plumbing, electrical work, flooring, bathrooms, kitchen cabinetry, finishes, a practical basic local appliance package, normal residential engineering, project management, trade coordination, quality checks and handover.
What is normally separate?
Driveways, fencing, furniture, window coverings, security systems, internet infrastructure, pools and landscaping. Unusual site work or specialist professional work may also be extra when the property or design needs it.
5. When does anything become paid?
Only when you ask us to begin detailed work on your actual project.
You do not pay US$1,500 simply to talk to SEED or explore whether the project makes sense. The free consultation comes first, with no obligation to continue.
Project Development & Site Assessment is optional until you decide you want SEED to begin detailed work on your actual property and home. If the project looks suitable and you choose to move beyond the free consultation, this is normally the next step.
If you go ahead with SEED for construction, the US$1,500 base fee is credited toward your construction price. ITBMS is not credited.
This is not simply another conversation. It is where we begin applying the real questions to your actual project: the site, the best position for the home, access, slope, drainage, utilities, layout, construction method, normal engineering needs, interior planning and the developing project cost.
It can include site review and visits, preliminary home and site planning, kitchen and bathroom planning, cabinetry and built-ins, finish and material discussions, lighting and fixture planning, infrastructure review, normal engineering coordination and preliminary costing. If the property needs specialist geotechnical, geological or unusual engineering work beyond a normal residential project, that is discussed and approved separately.
The purpose is simple: before you make the much larger construction commitment, you should have a much clearer idea of what you are building, how it will work on your property and what it is likely to cost.
6. The process
What happens from first contact to handover?
You tell us about your property and ideas
Send whatever you already have: location, photos, videos, plans, sketches, room requirements, questions and approximate budget.
We have a free first consultation
No obligation. We talk through what you want, likely budget, building options and whether the project seems like a sensible fit.
You choose whether to start Project Development
Only if you want detailed work on your actual project, Project Development begins at US$1,500 + ITBMS.
We develop the home and real cost
The design, site needs, building method, engineering, what is included and the likely cost become much clearer.
We confirm what we are building
Before construction starts, you know what the quotation includes, the main specifications, payment stages and responsibilities.
We build and complete your home
We coordinate the work we have agreed to manage through construction, finishing, final checks and handover.
For factory-prepared projects, the current normal construction payment structure is 50% / 20% / 20% / 10%, tied to major project stages and subject to the final construction agreement. Mainly local projects use staged payments that follow the actual construction progress.
Permits and approvals commonly take around 2–4 months, although timing varies by project and authority. Overall build time depends on the property, design, permit process and construction method, so we give you a more useful schedule once those things are known.
7. Experience
What experience does the team behind SEED bring?
James Bradley has more than 20 years of construction and related industry experience in Canada, followed by more than 12 years of hands-on work on homes in Panama.
In Panama, James and his team have worked on major renovations, extensive demolition, substantial rebuilding, kitchens, bathrooms, interiors, cabinetry, sourcing, installation and project coordination. Many projects have involved changing and rebuilding large parts of existing homes, not simply making small cosmetic improvements.
Pan Pacific Interiors and SEED Homes LatAm are closely related businesses with shared leadership and complementary experience. For you, the practical point is that the team behind SEED understands the realities of working on homes in Panama — climate, materials, suppliers, local trades, finishing, logistics and the need to make all the different parts of a home work together.
8. Building from overseas
Can you build in Panama while you live somewhere else?
Yes. You do not have to live in Panama full-time to build here.
We can work with you through video meetings, WhatsApp, email, shared plans, photographs and video from the site. You stay involved in the decisions that matter to you without having to personally chase every contractor, supplier, engineer and delivery from another country.
The more important decisions we can make before construction begins, the smoother the remote process becomes.
9. What to send us
What do you need before you contact SEED?
You do not need a formal package. Send what you have.
- Property location or Google Maps pin
- Photos and videos of the land
- Survey or site plan if you have one
- Plans, sketches or images of homes you like
- Approximate home size
- Bedrooms and bathrooms you need
- What matters most to you
- Your realistic budget range
- Concerns about access, slope, utilities or timing
If some of that is missing, that is fine. We can tell you what would be useful next.
Your next step
What should you do next?
Start with the information you already have. Your first conversation is free, and we can help you identify the next useful question to answer.