You know you’re behind on updating your blog when you’ve managed to build half a house since your last post…
Since November, I’ve been fully immersed in construction mode. The builders took a break around Christmas, and I spent January traveling in Europe. For the past couple of months, I’ve had a team of 10-20 people working six days a week on the house. I usually visit the site, which is about a mile from my current residence, twice a day to ensure everything is on track. I check to make sure they remember to install electric and water pipes and leave openings for windows. Even though they would rectify mistakes for free or at a higher quote, I still cover the cost of extra materials needed for corrections.
First, we built a small storage room. Since I’m staying a mile away, I needed a secure place for materials at night. It’s partly underground to match the house level, and the land slopes down to the beach, so it looks a bit unusual at first. But now, I can relax without worrying about missing concrete bags.
We then moved on to laying the house’s foundation. The first floor is approximately 9m x 7m, with a 3m x 9m terrace, making the upstairs 10m x 9m for the two bedrooms and bathrooms. A lot of earth was moved, which is impressive since it was done manually with buckets. Unlike the previous house where machinery could be used, the contractor prefers to give jobs to his extended family, and they’re working quickly, so I’m satisfied.
The workers are now quite skilled in stone wall building, similar to the previous house, so progress on the walls has been swift. The entire first floor will be stone, except for the material hut, which will become a tool storage and a 3x4m laundry room. There’s even a shower for staff, providing a space for them to sleep without needing to enter the main house. From the living room, you can see the lake as the walls start to take shape, under the watchful eye of Napoleon. What I really look forward to is a closed living space, unlike the open-air terrace of the old house that leaves me confined to my room during bad weather.
A couple of weeks in, we reached the stage for electric plugs, switches, and water pipes. The downstairs will have a small toilet under the stairs, and the kitchen will require a sink. I also prepared plugs for a washing machine and a 220V dryer in the maid’s quarters.
The kitchen wall will remain as blocks to create a corridor at the entrance, as stone walls can cause humidity. The first hardware store is 10 miles away, and a decent one is 20 miles away. I wanted to avoid frequent trips for minor supplies and tried teaching the workers to anticipate their needs. They often ran out of materials unexpectedly, and while they learned to improvise resourcefully, it was an ongoing challenge. For example, they used a soda bottle as a makeshift pipe joint, demonstrating their ingenuity.
Skipping ahead, we’ve started making windows, and the house is beginning to resemble a medieval castle. I had to adjust the window size to accommodate big orange tubes for the upstairs bathroom drains but kept large windows with sliding French doors to maximize lake views. Upstairs, I plan to create a safe room with heavy doors for secure storage when I’m away.
After six weeks, the walls were ready, and we set up a wooden frame for the first floor’s roof and the second floor. I considered using wood from the land but decided against it, fearing misuse of valuable straight trees. Instead, I relied on treated wood from external sources, hoping for durability for future furniture making.
We installed an iron grid to reinforce the concrete roof. Preparing for roof lights, we set up the wiring, but some wires were stolen during Christmas, potentially disrupting the electrical setup.
Without stairs, the workers built a temporary bridge to transport concrete to the roof, demonstrating their impressive stamina and resourcefulness. Renting a concrete machine for the roof saved time and effort, crucial as the mix needed to be poured quickly.
The concrete will now dry for over three weeks, which allowed me to travel to Europe without work worries. While I was away, the team completed additional touches, like building concrete kitchen countertops and a concrete couch. Although not the most aesthetically pleasing, concrete is practical in tropical climates where bugs infest wood.
To celebrate the progress, I treated the workers to a pig roast, which they valued more than extra money. We spent the day at a new public beach, cooking and enjoying the feast together.
Overall, I’m pleased with the progress. It required more effort on my part, especially after my friend left the supervision to me. Visiting the site 2-3 times daily was taxing but worthwhile. The downstairs construction cost around $20,000, with roughly half spent on materials and the remaining on labor. The total cost is expected to be under $40,000, with the land costing $25,000, resulting in a $65,000 budget for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house by the lake in Guatemala.
Interested in being my neighbor? The land can accommodate 4 to 6 similar houses, and there’s plenty of space!