Lunch with my contractor

[Kevin]

I’m down here at the beach. I came down to move some furniture etc. So I went to lunch with the guy building my house, Steve and another guy from the neighborhood.

It was fun, but on the way home, I was talking with the other friend, he’s also a gun guy, and was a teacher up in Missouri. We were talking about college for my daughter.

Steve says: “Here are you two with college degrees and yet I took you out to my country club for brunch.”

I didn’t say it, but just realized, he’s also got more money than both of us put together.

But here’s the current view from my house. It’s absolutely beautiful today, 73° and not humid at all.

Now I’m not making this up… The bulldozer is to push the rocks from the retaining wall back into place. The last storm we had lifted these pretty good sized rocks up and onto the street.

 

[kentucky yeti]

What a view!

 

[Kevin]

Thanks, I’ll take some pictures of the house and post ‘em when I get home. It’s just easier from a desktop to post pictures.

Right now I’m on my smart phone. And I sure wouldn’t want to show how powerful they are (no, really, pictures are easier on a computer for some reason.)

 

[Hvymax]

Thanks, I’ll take some pictures of the house and post ‘em when I get home. It’s just easier from a desktop to post pictures.

Right now I’m on my smart phone. And I sure wouldn’t want to show how powerful they are (no, really, pictures are easier on a computer for some reason.)

Opposite for me. The pictures are already in my phone. 2-3 touches and there they are.

 

[JPGLSG1234]

Kevin that is going to be your dream house for sure, I hope you truly enjoy every minute of it.

The big question is are you going to be able to supply us land lock members with some of those tasty TEXAS Gulf shrimp. I can ship my shipping container to you and you can ship it back. I'll be happy to pay my way and buy you some as well. The local grocery store used to get them in but for some reason has stopped carrying them.

 

[Threespears]

Very Nice

 

[Johnnu2]

You may not be as rich as your contractor, but you must be doing SOMETHING right Kevin....!
It ain't much, but we call it "home"...

VERY NICE INDEED,
J.

 

[Kevin]

Here’s a picture of the house. It’s on a corner lot angled to face the water.

It’s about 2500 sq feet with four outside decks that are about another 1000 square feet.

In the summer it’s too humid to be outside, but on a day like today, slight breeze and perfect temps, it’s just about heaven.

Even if I don’t like shrimp. (Sorry to disappoint ya jpglsg1234)

 

[nekvermont]

Congratulations on your new house. That's a great achievement.

 

[Jeepnik]

Out of curiosity what is your elevation above mean sea level?

I’ll stay on my bluff top thank you very much.

 

[jimbo1096]

Where in Texas. I might want to come for a visit sometime. I can even bring a boat!
Great view, and up on stilts for the storm surge. I'll bet there is no lack of work for a good building contractor down there.

 

[Mobuck]

I bet the view is fantastic when the next hurricane rolls in.

 

[Johnnu2]

Is there an elevator in that lower section.... groceries do get heavy eventually.

J.

 

[g5m]

Lovely house, Kevin!

 

[Kevin]

There is an elevator from the lower deck to the upstairs. And the highest point on the island is I think around 6 or 8 feet. Nope, just looked it up...highest point is 3 and a half feet. The house is 22 feet in the air, or about 25 feet above sea level. The upper bedrooms slightly higher.

Here are some more pictures. There is an outdoor shower which is not yet done. With privacy screens so the neighbors can't peek.

and shower:

Here is the primary bathroom, my wife designed it. I gotta say, it's pretty spectacular. When the county inspector came for the final inspection, he took a picture to show his wife.

The toilet is off in another little room to the left of the shower.

And the window! We designed this house. In Texas you don't need a license to design a residential home. I won't live in another house without a window in the bathroom. They just feel like dark closets.

Here's the Kitchen. Through that door behind the cooler on the countertop is the laundry room with a door to the side deck and elevator, (actually a cargo lift.)

And the living room, the kitchen is back to the right of this picture and the front door is to the left by those screens leaning up against the wall. This space is about 15'x15' And yes, that's the neighbor's deck through that window. Window shades are on order.

Here is the upstairs. The two bedrooms are down to the left and right. This space is a bridge sort of. It's open to the living room and kitchen on each side of the bookcases. It's 12' from one bookcase to the other.

Here's my daughter's room. She wanted a bay window, but we couldn't really make that happen, so the built in closest frame a seating area below the window. This is honestly the best room in the house. And the dark paint with pink trim just looks fabulous.

Here's another picture.

Here's the other upstair's bedroom. I picked out the cedar wall and ceiling. But it didn't turn out the way I thought. It's not too "beachy." I saw this article online about plywood interiors of surf shacks in California. And they looked really cool. Our contractor suggested this because it would look cleaner. And honestly, they did a great job.

Oh, and the bed! It's a Tubbs of Vermont Maple bed (might be Ash, not sure actually). I found it at a thrift store years ago. I get pretty excited about furniture. The wicker side table was also a thrift store find. Made in USA, and some white gloss spray paint, and looks like new! Same with lamp and bookcase. Actually, all our furniture is from the thrift store. It's just better quality than you can buy new.

Here's another view of the kitchen and the stairs going up to the two bedrooms. So the whole house is 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms.

And that's about it.

No BBQ, Jim, not sure what I'm going to do? Actually, I have a gas grill here in Dallas I'm going to drag down one of these days.

 

[Kevin]

The two orange triangular "36" sign leaning up in the kitchen washed up on the beach one morning. I picked it up and carried it home. A giant telephone pole also washed up with them. But I couldn't carry it.

 

[jimbo1096]

very impressive!

 

[Johnnu2]

VERY IMPRESSIVE.... and that's the "second home".....
I LIKEY A LOT

J.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

The two orange triangular "36" sign leaning up in the kitchen washed up on the beach one morning. I picked it up and carried it home. A giant telephone pole also washed up with them. But I couldn't carry it.

Very nice I'm sure you will enjoy it except for the 6+ hour drive.
I just returned from 3 weeks at Trey's North of Ft Worth and that 5 hour drive is a PITA.
The signs look like channel markers. Is one red and the other black??? Keep the red one on the right returning from sea

 

[Threespears]

Very Nice

 

[Joe Reilly]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, YOU paid for the lunch.

 

[Kevin]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, YOU paid for the lunch.

Ha! I suppose you’re right. “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.”

 

[Ride1949]

Beautiful house! A little too close to the neighbors for me but, otherwise fantastic. Congratulations.

 

[Mega Twin]

Beautiful house!
I like being a little farther from civilization myself but that does have an appeal.

 

[blume357]

Out of curiosity what is your elevation above mean sea level?

I’ll stay on my bluff top thank you very much.

That got me to laughing.... I can figure that out from the first picture.... I guess from the deck it might, just might be 20-25ft.

 

[Armybrat]

Very nice house.
South Padre Island, I assume?
My son & his wife are down there this weekend. They are looking to buy a beachfront condo for the family (not as a rental).

 

[Kevin]

Very nice house.
South Padre Island, I assume?
My son & his wife are down there this weekend. They are looking to buy a beachfront condo for the family (not as a rental).

We are just outside of Galveston. We’ve been to Port Aransas and I’ve been to South Padre years ago.

They are nice, but just too far from Dallas. We are 329 miles door to door. About 5 hours, depending upon traffic.

South Padre is supposed to have better beaches. But they don’t have many single family houses. Nothing wrong with a condominium though. But we have two loud dogs, and it just wouldn’t work out.

Our little neighborhood is very nice, people drive around in their golf carts, lots of families with kids, either renters owners.

Our beach is very nice as well. Plus Galveston has a kite shop. I love kites. And some nice restaurants.

 

[MaxMan]

Absolutely beautiful. In his instance he is right. But not all the time. I looked at a lot of tax returns. His case is not a rule of thumb by any means. Good for him. I like people making a success. I have fenced a lot of guys starting off and then grow into really big businesses. Said that with a degree and post graduate work. I think more and trades are getting to be a good option
Especially since tradesmen are not being replaced as fast as they are retiring. And college now tried to indoctrinate kids to be commies or worse. Had one customer with a horizontal drilling company had about 4 units and some state contracts. Did really well. He said his mom used to tell him if you don't finish high school you'll end up digging ditches.

 

[kentucky yeti]

This thread is worth revisiting. Your home is very nice and thought-out. I like it a lot!

 

[Kevin]

This thread is worth revisiting. Your home is very nice and thought-out. I like it a lot!

Thanks. It's all because of my wife. She really sweated the details. I'm surprised the contractor will still take my calls!

I'm joking of course. The contractor is still a top notch guy. I talked with him today in fact.

By the way Kentucky Yeti, your house that you pictured being built is pretty darn nice as well. All that land and the big workshop is icing on the cake.