Flor Cherique, Paso Ancho
Our home is approximately 6 kms from the center of Volcan, ½ km off the highway going toward Cerro Punta, about 34 miles from David (the 3rd largest city in Panama); 1 km from the Bambito 5 star resort hotel, in the area called Paso Ancho. This garden setting is about 250 yards south of the Rio Chiriqui Viejo, a beautiful cascading mountain river. Stunning views abound in all directions including the Volcan Baru summit. At approx 4900' elevation, the temperature varies between 62 to 78 degrees year around, neither heating nor air conditioning is required (dehumidifiers are nice to have during the rainy season, though). You will notice the absence of flying insects and mosquitoes. Our house is served by municipal supplied utilities of phone, electricity and water, and serviced by the Volcan police and fire departments.
Land and outside improvements
Price: $138,500 USD, negotiable
Our property is all fenced w/ Cyclone and bamboo, to give more privacy and give a more natural look with the garden. Approx 500' of fence surrounds the property and is the usual Panama style, constructed with a concrete base, chain link main body, and topped with multi strand barb wire; includes a large sliding gated entrance on the east side (approximately 195' along the south side, 100' east side, 140' on the north side, and 95' on the west side.)
This elevated plot of ground (approx 1000 square meters or ¼ acres) has two lightly traveled roads (one on the south side, this road serves auto traffic leading to the few homes in the area. On the east side, the road is auto traffic up to our and our neighbor's entry gates and continues on serving foot traffic down to Rio Chiriqui Viejo River. Multiple trees and a number of individual garden areas abound.
The large septic tank system was built to accommodate future expansion of the house much larger than its present size. The 250 gallon water tank is mounted atop a 6 foot' high concrete/brick housing for storing incoming city water. We also installed an automatic water pump and pressure system in addition to an electric-starter on-demand propane hot water heater.
The home has a total square footage of 1,008. The house is internally steel reinforced, concrete block, stucco, metal roof home include cathedral ceilings with exposed beams in the bedrooms, living and kitchen areas; and has an LPG fireplace log system or firewood ready for those extra chilly nights (YES, in Panama?), ceramic 2'X2' floor tile throughout. The House was designed and built for easy addition for adding additional rooms, single or multi-level. We have considered converting it into a Bed & Breakfast.
The kitchen extensively remodeled w/ built in pantry and cabinets on west wall below and below the kitchen sink (a window is above the sink for viewing the garden and front gate); nice thick glass shelving above the cabinets on west wall; (2 yrs) Frigidaire Electrolux refrigerator w/ top freezer; a 4 burner GE model X144 gas stove w/ a 4 burner top, large oven and separate broiler below, also, with window above to back porch. Washer and dryer are with power connection for 220v electric or LPG gas. A room/hallway in between the two bedrooms (was put there for future house expansion to the west (possibly a large master bedroom-architectural plans included) is provisioned presently w/ a locking door for convenient storing of the owners personal belongings if you choose to rent it to others. Two telephone lines come to the house. Internet broadband service and local cable or satellite TV is available. There are two bedrooms with built in closets; a recently remodeled all-tiled bathroom w/ pedestal sink, larger-seated commode, and European style shower w/ artistic glass blocks. Outside doors (recently refinished) are on both the south and north side.
The South side of the house has two large hardwood-framed picture windows, which provides beautiful views to the front gardens and the visiting Hummingbirds. The living room window is a very large hardwood framed 5'X10', while the bedroom window is hardwood framed 3 ½' X 8', both made of unbreakable Lexan glass and large hardwood framed bay window in north bedroom/den with very nice mountain cloud forest/garden views. Wrought iron burglar bars (painted café white) are affixed to all the outside doors and windows.
Outside the back (North) door is a large double utility sink, 25-gallon electric hot water heater cabinets under the sinks that house the automatic water pressure pump system and storage for 2 LPG 20 lb containers with quick changeover connections. (LPG is the power source preferred in Panama with the price capped by the government at $5.75 per 20 lb container).
We added large porches (South - 10ft wide and North - 8 ft. wide) on most of the way around the home w/ nice Cypress wood trellises for a natural privacy buffer. A double-car garage w/ storage room and studio/workshop for arts/crafts w/ storage room (or can be renovated to add a bathroom/shower to convert to a studio apartment) The entrance is all natural stonework with nice stone-walled gardens and pathways throughout. The gardens are well maintained by our gardener/caretaker who lives nearby.
Stone/steel/polycarbonate/sliding glass screen windowed greenhouse (16x20x10) was built 2007.
Name: Carmen and John Godfrey Schellinger
Home Phone: 507-771-4353 (leave a message on our answering machine after five rings and tone)
Cell Phone: 6531-5015 (or 6661-0346)
Email: jgschellinger@yahoo.com
Date Added: February 26, 2008
Date Updated: October 24, 2009