It seems that I am thinking about something that has to do with the house 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Walking through the kitchen to the fridge or down the hallway to the bathroom something always pops into my head about how I am going to complete this project and in what fashion.

  • Are the three-way light switches layed out in a user friendly way (light switches at the top and bottom of the steps)?
  • What kind of wood should we use to build the shelves in the hallway closet?
  • If it takes 6 weeks to get the counter tops cut, delivered, installed, polished and sealed and we can’t start that until the kitchen floors are installed so we can permanently attach the lower cabinets….how many weeks will it be until the kitchen is 100% complete? The amount of time it will take to finish the kitchen will dictate the time line for everything else (master bath, steps, hardwood floors)…hmmm, so does that put us on schedule with the rest of the house projects?
  • Will I rent a car to get to San Juan on Monday to find the epoxy grout for the marble tiles?
  • What can we realistically spend on landscaping to achieve the tropical landscaped yard we want?
  • Will ARPE grant us our Permiso de Uso by January?

So, while building our dream house in Puerto Rico is an amazing experience, I am keeping my eyes on the prize; A completed house/home office where Summer and I can kick it, work and plan our next adventure.

I decided that I should put a list together of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly emotions/experiences that is involved in Puerto Rico construction life. If you have had a similar experience with construction (anywhere) or with Puerto Rico in general, post it below I’d love to hear about them.

    The Good

  • Seeing your construction project evolve into a home
  • Knowing your property and house inside and out
  • Choosing all of your finish items (kitchen, bath etc)
  • Laying in your hammock on your own front porch with a cup of coffee and a book
  • Meeting new people that help work on the house
  • Learning how to navigate around the island (looking for materials)
  • Seeing your home as an investment and the value you are adding to it with all your work
  • Daydreaming about your home and your life in it 10 years from now
  • The intellectual stimulation that comes with managing a project that is completely alien to all of your life’s experiences
  • Cutting out of the house and surfing while the guys keep working
  • Getting Electricity/Water/DSL

    The Bad

  • Going over budget
  • Doing the dishes in the bath tub (and clogging the drain)
  • Lack of instant gratification
  • Being thousands of miles from Summer
  • No alone time
  • Difficult to work (on my business) because of constant interruptions
  • Learning the right way to do something after you have already done it
  • Waiting on deliveries
  • Driving every day to the same store more than once to buy more items because you didn’t plan well enough
  • Dealing with the dogs and strangers on our property (barking, growling, biting and locking them up
  • Having to bring a flashlight into the closet to find your clothes (and having to walk through plastic to get in there)

    • Knowing that if you cut out for a surf while the guys are working, productivity with drop 40%

  • Daily clean up
  • Trying to get electricity

    The Ugly

  • Mud (in the yard, in the house, on your clothes, your shoes, on the dogs)
  • Bad Transmissions
  • Fried food and lack of healthy options
  • All the liter bugs in Puerto Rico
  • All the stray dogs/cats
  • The giant 5 and 6 story condos going up all over Rincon
  • Finding a knowledgeable associate to help at Home Depot
  • Punctuality
  • Urchins
  • Surf School
  • The pile of scrap, trash and trash in the back yard