Almost Done

Let’s abandon the bullet points… Despite missing his deadline again, and for the third time, Brad actually did a heck of a job and is completing the house. I was pleasantly surprised when I came in, and everything looked in place. Doors are hung, Lights are in place. The plumbing works (although it needs the generator to run, and I haven’t figured out yet how to run that stupid engine). Continue reading

Coming Back to San Francisco

{moszoomimglink:Brad}Latest update, mid-April. A tough month, already over a month into the extension. Here is the latest list of things to do (green: HAPPENING; grey: DONE): Wall to the master bedroom and MBR closet All swinging doors (14, plus closets) Fixed doors to the kitchen Drywalls and mud Painting Electrical (rough-in) Electrical (finish) Plumbing (finish) Bathroom and kitchen tiles Honoka`a bedroom Garage Upstairs bathroom tile Brad says he’ll be done by the 16th (his birthday). Continue reading

April Visit

{moszoomimglink:Brad}Latest update, end of March. A tough month, already over a month into the extension. Here is the latest list of things to do (green: HAPPENING; grey: DONE): Wall to the master bedroom and MBR closet All swinging doors (14, plus closets) Fixed doors to the kitchen Drywalls and mud Painting Electrical (rough-in) Electrical (finish) Plumbing (finish) Bathroom and kitchen tiles Honoka`a bedroom Garage Upstairs bathroom tile Brad says he’ll be done by the 16th. Continue reading

One more month

{moszoomimglink:Kitchen tiles}The list of things to do is shrinking and shrinking. Remember, I presented it last month, and here is a new colored version (green: HAPPENING; grey: DONE): Wall to the master bedroom and MBR closet All swinging doors (14, plus closets) Fixed doors to the kitchen Drywalls and mud Painting Electrical (all) Plumbing (finish) Bathroom and kitchen tiles Not bad, huh?

Getting There

{moszoomimglink:Looking out from the living room}This time the trip was longer (2 weeks) and the need more desperate. Would I be able to propel the construction to the next level? Would we be able to finish on time? And could I really see that people were working? Well, it looks like progress is swift, and that I was certainly right when I complained about the slowness when I am not there. Continue reading

Back from Ninole

{moszoomimglink:The staircase in full daylight}This month saw a late visit (due out from November, but I was moving then). The piece de resistance was the staircase, a real beauty that replaces the dreaded ladder. It is a thing of elegance and solidity, and it is the most impressive result of this month of work. Unfortunately, no matter how happy I am about the progress, it just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen by the deadline. Continue reading

Moving Into New House

{moszoomimglink:44. Hazelwood}So I got lucky! I was struggling to find anything livable during the whole month, and got deals denied at the last second because the owner didn’t want cats, after all… In the end, a strange mix of serendipity (I had read about this open house because I had typed in the wrong search), circumstances (the owner wasn’t able to rent to anyone else) and perseverance (I stuck with this house throughout my search) got me in at the last second, after all other options were exhausted. Continue reading

Second Month

{moszoomimglink:Honokaa/makai window frames (flash)} Back! This time, the weather was abysmal, but the progress was swift. Brad succeeded in getting the floors done, the main lanai, the window frames. There was a lot to be looked at, and I am only sorry that it was so short. I had fun seeing the house growing, and for the first time I was already looking at furniture. Brad was not only working on the house: he has been great with suggestions for improvement. Continue reading

First Month

{moszoomimglink:The main entrance}The first month of ownership is over, and I felt the urge to go for myself and check things out. Good news: Brad is a brilliant contractor, and the work he’s done with the crew is amazin. Bad news: he’s barely had time to work on the house. After I left, he’s only completed the subflooring and done the lanai mauka, with the lanai makai on the way. One wall was put in (left of the main entrance) and a few window frames. Continue reading

Closed

{moszoomimglink:House under construction}Finally, after a three-month ordeal that left both the seller and myself wondering if anyone in the process actually wanted to make this work, the escrow company confirmed the property has been recorded in my name. The beautiful terrain slopes gently down from Mauna Kea to the sea, with uninterruptible 180 degree views of the ocean, a stream on one side that boast 20 waterfalls and one of the rainiest climates on this planet. Continue reading