A year after our home was done...we built a pool.
We took a one year break from building. Though we had a good experience, we needed to enjoy our home before starting construction again. Plus, we needed to build up steam as the home build cost way more than we had expected. After a year, we decided to build a pool so that the girls could enjoy the summer. Again, I searched for reputable contractors.
As a consumer investigative reporter, I have done so many television stories on pool contractors who take people's money and leave so I really did my homework looking for a pool builder. I looked for several things:
1- A licensed contractor who had been in business for over 20 years
2- A company who had good reviews and no litigations or complaints with the County or State
3-A company that had gone through the permitting process in my Town and County
4-A company that wasn't overpriced or dirt cheap
5-A business that had its own architects, permit runners, subcontractors, etc.
6- A company that could give me a solid deadline for the completion date
7- A company that didn't ask for too much money up front and only asked for payment after stages were completed
My list was long so I ended up only getting two quotes. Not many companies met all of these requirements. I settled for a family owned business who met my expectations and really delivered. Pool Builders Inc, located in Davie really took care of every step on time, kept me in the loop and built us a beautiful pool in less than 4 months. We made sure to have a fence built and window alarms up in time for the barrier inspections and are currently enjoying our pool!
As a consumer investigative reporter, I have done so many television stories on pool contractors who take people's money and leave so I really did my homework looking for a pool builder. I looked for several things:
1- A licensed contractor who had been in business for over 20 years
2- A company who had good reviews and no litigations or complaints with the County or State
3-A company that had gone through the permitting process in my Town and County
4-A company that wasn't overpriced or dirt cheap
5-A business that had its own architects, permit runners, subcontractors, etc.
6- A company that could give me a solid deadline for the completion date
7- A company that didn't ask for too much money up front and only asked for payment after stages were completed
My list was long so I ended up only getting two quotes. Not many companies met all of these requirements. I settled for a family owned business who met my expectations and really delivered. Pool Builders Inc, located in Davie really took care of every step on time, kept me in the loop and built us a beautiful pool in less than 4 months. We made sure to have a fence built and window alarms up in time for the barrier inspections and are currently enjoying our pool!
Finishes, flooring and a dream kitchen with a little help from our family!
In March and April of 2017 we finally got our windows in so the house was sealed and we could start laying down flooring, drywall, tile, vanities, etc. Everyone got to work. We picked a waterproof floating floor that looked like hardwood. It could resist up to 36 hours under water so we decided to use it all over the house. As handy as my husband is, he had to figure out how to lay that stuff down without any seams throughout the house. He started each floor on one end and worked through the entire house covering the kitchen, dining room, living room, half-bath and laundry downstairs. He then went room by room upstairs, making sure he had no divisions. The result was pretty amazing.
After the interior walls, insulation, plumbing, electrical, gas and drywall were in. We recruited the entire family for a painting day. It was fun and exhausting at the same time. We didn't have air conditioning yet and I suspect that if we were related, our free workforce would've bolted for sure!
The video shows you how the floor came in, a reading nook and doggie apartment we built under the stairs and the outdoor and indoor finishes.
After the interior walls, insulation, plumbing, electrical, gas and drywall were in. We recruited the entire family for a painting day. It was fun and exhausting at the same time. We didn't have air conditioning yet and I suspect that if we were related, our free workforce would've bolted for sure!
The video shows you how the floor came in, a reading nook and doggie apartment we built under the stairs and the outdoor and indoor finishes.
The Build
January, February and March 2017
In January and February of 2017, our house went up pretty fast thanks to our contractor Tony Nales. Much to our surprise, the minute the bricks came in, he had an army of men putting up walls faster than we could document. After the first floor was put down, the foundation for the second floor and the arch work began. We really didn't realize how much work putting all of those architectural details would entail but it came together. During this phase we also saw our stairs being built which helped me finally go upstairs to look at the progress on the second floor. I had tried going up more often before that but my vertigo just was more powerful than my desire to see where my room was being built. The stairs were built by one of Tony's most famous workers named Tino, with the help of my husband Gino. That's when Tony coined the nickname "Tino and Gino" construction. Tino was a blast and would become someone we looked forward to seeing on the job.
During this time we also received our septic tank. We have never lived on a septic tank and this was going to be an adjustment. I started reading into how to maintain one...which detergents are better and how I shouldn't go crazy with clorox which, as an OCD mom, was my best friend. I realized this home was a new chapter in my life for many reasons. It was going to force me to change some habits that I knew were bad for my kids, myself and the environment...habits we get used to because we live in a society where a product takes care of a problem...and then another product takes care of the problem that last one created. I was going to have to start thinking about what I throw down the drain and what else I could do with scraps. Although I didn't know it at the time, this was the beginning of what would become a more organic farm lifestyle.
Now back to the build...all seemed to go well and on schedule. I had really done my homework when finding a general contractor but what I didn't realize is that some of the obstacles we put in his way would come back to bite us in the butt, You see, he made sure to get different bids for jobs and pick the best sub-contractor for each phase but we insisted on using our own window people; a company that had been recommended by one of my husband's radio friends. Well, little did we know that company would bring our build to a screeching halt when they failed to meet deadline after deadline. We paid the hurricane windows in December and it would take months to get them delivered. This meant the house couldn't be completely sealed and therefore the drywall, insulation, flooring, and everything else that makes up a house, couldn't be installed. Boy was I upset. I think I must've emailed and called everyday. I even spoke to their distributor in hopes of making sure the shipment was coming. When the windows finally started coming in (one or two at a time) we decided to install them ourselves instead of waiting for this window company to get their act straight. Enter "Tino and Gino" construction and the windows went up pretty fast. I didn't know it yet but this would be something my husband would remember later... every time he would sit in living room and think of how he helped put those windows in.
During this time we also received our septic tank. We have never lived on a septic tank and this was going to be an adjustment. I started reading into how to maintain one...which detergents are better and how I shouldn't go crazy with clorox which, as an OCD mom, was my best friend. I realized this home was a new chapter in my life for many reasons. It was going to force me to change some habits that I knew were bad for my kids, myself and the environment...habits we get used to because we live in a society where a product takes care of a problem...and then another product takes care of the problem that last one created. I was going to have to start thinking about what I throw down the drain and what else I could do with scraps. Although I didn't know it at the time, this was the beginning of what would become a more organic farm lifestyle.
Now back to the build...all seemed to go well and on schedule. I had really done my homework when finding a general contractor but what I didn't realize is that some of the obstacles we put in his way would come back to bite us in the butt, You see, he made sure to get different bids for jobs and pick the best sub-contractor for each phase but we insisted on using our own window people; a company that had been recommended by one of my husband's radio friends. Well, little did we know that company would bring our build to a screeching halt when they failed to meet deadline after deadline. We paid the hurricane windows in December and it would take months to get them delivered. This meant the house couldn't be completely sealed and therefore the drywall, insulation, flooring, and everything else that makes up a house, couldn't be installed. Boy was I upset. I think I must've emailed and called everyday. I even spoke to their distributor in hopes of making sure the shipment was coming. When the windows finally started coming in (one or two at a time) we decided to install them ourselves instead of waiting for this window company to get their act straight. Enter "Tino and Gino" construction and the windows went up pretty fast. I didn't know it yet but this would be something my husband would remember later... every time he would sit in living room and think of how he helped put those windows in.
December...The Shell
December 1st, 2016. We finally got our building permit so we went out to celebrate as a family. Nothing fancy...just our favorite pizza joint that has the best garlic rolls! We thought this day would never come but my husband's persistent as a permit runner really paid off!
December 5th, 6th,7th and 8th, the construction officially began when the framing started. Things started moving really quickly. Everyday the crew was out working or waiting for an inspection to move forward. We realized what a blessing our General Contractor is. We also got the inspection done on the temporary electrical pole and FPL came out and connected us. Let there be light...well...temporary light at least.
December 9th - 28th, things are moving extremely fast. The crew put down the brick frame and our neighbor, who is our fill-guy, brought truckloads of fill to raise our property. He then compressed it in stages, allowing soil-density tests to be done every few feet. The plumber then came in to dig up the pipes. When it was all complete and inspectors signed off on them, the crew brought in the cement truck to pour our concrete slab. One small snafu...there was a pipe coming out of the kitchen area and up to our second floor. It meant my open-floor plan was going to be interrupted by a small wall. The contractor asked the plumber to move it into the wall and while he does that, the slab had to be poured around that area. A small price to pay to get the openness we want.
October Update
As we finalize the revisions the town is asking for in order to get our building permit, our surveyor came out and staked out the build pad. Our contractor then sent out his team to put up batterboards and then we had the pad scraped and ready to fill. We also got our well installed. Exciting times!
We began working with a local architect a few weeks before closing on our property. It was crazy but we were sure things were going to work out. Our house is not going to be very big. He charged us $3 a square foot for our 1888 sq.ft house so we paid just under $6000 for the design, engineering, elevations, site plan and printing. It took about 8 weeks to have this finished (even when we knew exactly what we wanted), so I recommend you get started quickly. You need your plans to start your permitting process which is lengthy as well. To get the plans you will need a site survey so find a surveyor first.
July 6th,Temporary Electrical Panel
We needed a temporary electrical panel for the build. An electrician was going to charge us $2500 for one. My husband found a man selling one he had on an old jobsite. He paid $300, bought new posts and put it together himself. Because our property was de-mucked, (dirt is hard to break) installing it wasn't easy...as evidenced in the blister my husband is sporting in a picture above. We still have to get an electrician to check the wiring but expect to save some serious money. Every penny counts!
15 years ago today, I married a very popular radio DJ. He drove around in a corvette and tried gifting me jewelry and things "normal" girls like. Today, after a 15 year extended course on pleasing a girl who is not very girly, he gave me the best anniversary present ever! He photoshopped some of our plans onto a page and framed it so that we can hang it up in our home once it is built. He handed it to me after driving his minivan to a little dive we like to go to for lunch. I am truly a lucky girl and can't wait to spend the next 15 years with my best friend!