Writes of Passage

After searching through builders, signing off the contract and options, the actual building, to construct the home comes next.

Our contract stipulated 13-14 months to completion, which is Feb/Mar 2022, with 10% down on home plus the lot. The construction begins in October 2021 due to delays (shortages) caused by the covid-19 pandemic:

^{2021 Oct} construction begins
^{2022 Feb} drywall inspection
^{2022 Sept} final walk-through
^{2022 Sept} closing 

The process:

We received our first image of the home on November 4th, 2021 when the walls are already up.

During the construction process, the sales agent should send updates with photos. But ours isn’t responsive, which is the norm. The first update came when one of our neighbors who posted photo of our street in Facebook group. Most photos of our home (below) are from neighbors.

Our timeline

• ^{2021 Jan} signed the contract at the end of January and the closing is tentatively scheduled in Feb/Mar 2022.
• ^April Four weeks later, the ‘designer’ contacted us for a meeting
• ^{July 12} our street is being paved
• ^{Oct 13} construction begins
• ^{Nov 04} walls are up: 1st photo
• ^{Nov 20} 4×8 boards/wood for roof is on site
• ^{Dec 01} roof is going up & membrane
• ^{Dec 09} inside of the house
• ^{Dec 24} plumbing/wiring done, no windows
• ^2022.1.5 construction manager: window on hold; framing follows
• ^1.17 drywall inspection scheduled for Feb 10
• ^1.28 R side, ceiling, look out to lanai
• ^2.10 inspection of pre-drywall after 4 months
• ^2.22 windows delivered
• ^3.08 garage door increase $390-$480
• ^3.11 windows are installed
• ^3.14 stucco ⇒ paint the interior wall
• ^3.18 floor tile delivered and installed; waiting
  • ^4.10 floor tile delay; 2 bath
  • ^4.15 floor tile done
• ^4.11 they start to paint exterior
• ^4.15 floor tile done; baseboards in
• ^4.28 Driveway n lanai pavers going in
• ^5.01 pavers installed
• ^5.06 lanai pavers done
• ^5.20 landscaping
• ^5.22 lanai screened & gas outlet
• ^5.25 bi weekly update: cabinets delay
• ^6.06 on the Walk/Close Report
• ^6.22 truckloads cabinets
• ^6.25 cabinets installed ^{~90 days to closing after cabinets}  
• ^7.15 Status Notification Letter ^{8-9 wks to close}
• ^7.18 email fm title co
• ^8.09 email re: closing  date set
• ^9.01 final walk thru
• ^9.08 sign off – closing, after 20 months

The following photos illustrate the process. Photo credits go to many neighbors when they posted on FB.

1. pave the road, curbs prepare/clear the ground
2. stake out the lot/forms
3. rough plumbers
4. pour the slab
5. walls: outer wall’s blocks, going up, walls, 4×8 boards
6. roof, membrane, tiles
7. inside of the house
8. Windows
9. curbs/sidewalk

The roofers, Nov 2, 2022. They played the music in the morning. Then, perhaps, went to lunch. Then, all work in the afternoon, without any accompanying sound. A few nights, they worked into dusk, taking advantage of the last ray. This is how they prepare to lay the pavers.