Journal
The Waterbridge Court Home
of
Linda and Ron Tucker
In 2001, Linda and Ron Tucker entered into a major life event. After extensive research, we embarked on relocating from Georgetown, Massachusetts to Leesburg, Florida. The decision was made and the process was started on July 9, 2001. A lot in “The Plantation at Leesburg” was selected and a down payment was made. This journal details the remainder of that process.
On July 9, 2001, we put a deposit on the lot known as Waterbridge #1 in The Plantation at Leesburg. This lot is the first on a cul-de-sac of 18 homes (with ours). The other 17 are complete. Ours will complete the Court.
The Plantation offers many home designs. We chose a design known as Grand Isle II. It was a new design and ours was the first frame version built. We made few modifications and added a pool.
Here are some quotes from my Journal to describe the month of July.
Sunday, July 8, 2001, -- We headed off to The Plantation for the 4th visit. This one was planned to be a quick refresher visit and to see a “Timberline.” Jean (Our Sales Representative) was waiting for us. We did do that (Visit a Timberline) and then went to see the lot known as Waterbridge 1 again. When we walked back to the Palatlakaha River, which borders the back of the lot, we saw several large turtles and then there appeared - an alligator. Yep - he was on the surface, cruising slowly upstream in the middle of the river. He was about 5’ long and seemed little bothered by us. We accused Jean of hiring Disney to put an Animatronic alligator out there for us to see.
She showed us a new plan - The Grand Isle II - and we really liked this one. Jean gave us a voucher for lunch and we left to use it. During our discussion at lunch, we came very close to putting a deposit on the lot. But - we held off again.
Monday, July 9, 2001, -- Back at it -- Up and at’em. During the day we decided.... We called Jean at The Plantation and agreed to buy the Waterbridge #1 lot and put a modified Grand Isle II on it. We headed back to the Plantation and signed the paperwork to start the purchasing/building process. Gave her a check to seal the deal. GADZOOKS - what have we done??
Wednesday, July 11, 2001, - Getting closer to a Deal - -- We puttered around all morning and then headed off to The Plantation. We arrived at 1 Woodbridge at about 10:30. Linda noticed a Westy tied out at the house across the street and went on over. Soon we were talking to Gary - our new neighbor. He was great. He is a recently retired Marketing man from Pittsburgh - he had nothing but good to say about The Plantation. We spent about 1 hour talking to him. He even invited us to a Waterbridge neighborhood gathering Sunday Evening. We called Jean and she met us at the restaurant for lunch. A good lunch and we headed home.
Sunday, July 15, 2001, - A Busy Day - -- We explored the Mount Dora area all day - including some shopping.
Next we were off to The Plantation and The Waterbridge neighborhood. We went to the house where all the people seemed to be gathered and then knocked at the door. This was the neighborhood party that Gary had invited us. I introduced us and we were welcomed with open arms. We were introduced all around. We had a great visit, some excellent food and met many of our future neighbors.
Now - back to the building of our home on Waterbridge Court.
October 2, 2001
We arrived at The Plantation about 10 AM today. The trip from Massachusetts was uneventful. Jean, our Sales Person, helped us settle in to a rental house. She found this for us while we were in Massachusetts and did a wonderful job of matching our needs. This will be our home during The Holidays of 2001 while our Waterbridge Court Home is constructed.
October 3, 2001
This is the first day of our Home Building Adventure. The sun rose over what will be the pool side of the house. The house has been laid out and the forms for the slab have been started. This is “The Beginning” for us.
We spent the day unpacking and getting settled in to our rental home. It Pine Hill Neighborhood. We are renting from Marilyn and Bill who also live in The Plantation. It is a very nice home and will serve us perfectly.
We spent some time with Marilyn and Bill and also our new Waterbridge Court neighbors – Eileen and Gary. They were all very helpful in pointing out the various areas and people we need to know. We learned from people at “The Construction Office” that our permits are still with “The County” and they are waiting their return.
October 9, 2001
We are getting comfortable with our surroundings and Linda is participating in several activities. She is meeting people quickly. Our permits are still not back and we have been advised not to bother “them.” So – the activity at Waterbridge #1 has been limited. The last two days, they have put in all the plumbing that will be in the slab. Lots of pipes – all PVC. Our van is parked in front of "the garage."
October 11, 2001
There has been no further activity on the house. The Permits are still not back. Duncan and I did wander around the lot and even out along the Palatlakaha River for a while. We didn’t see any alligators, but we knew they were there – we’ve seen them in the past. There is a dam just upstream from us. The dam provides The Plantation with water control for most of the property. This is a view from the dam back to the Plantation Boulevard bridge.
October 12, 2001
They have been busy at the house today. They’ve treated all the ground with an insect killer of some sort and then
covered it all with a thick, poly vapor barrier. They’ve been installing rebar in all the footings. They also put a Portable John on the lot. I’m told this is a sure indication that they are committed and increased activity is imminent.
October 15, 2001
There has been little activity for the last couple of days. We're told that they won't pour until the permit is back. They’ve finished the forms and it is ready for concrete. Everything looks good. This view is from the corner of the lot nearest the street. The home next door has a pool and cage on the back similar to ours.
October 17, 2001
There have been several men at the site, continuing the preparation of the site until this morning. Then an army of workers arrived and the trucks started coming. They poured the slab today. It was quite a production. I don’t know how many people were involved – but there were many. And I don’t know how many trucks of concrete they used – but many. They were pouring most of the morning. At one point there were two trucks on the site and two on the street waiting. Very impressive. A crew of about 10 spent the afternoon compacting and smoothing. It looks good.
October 18, 2001
They are getting ready to frame. Two things convinced us. (1)- They delivered materials to the site. Lots of them to start the framing. (2) – We met the construction supervisor, Phil, and he told us so.
We also talked to Joyce from “Backyard Aquatics.” They plan to start the pool on Tuesday. Next week should see lots of changes.
October 23, 2001
It rose from the earth. I drove by the house lot about 7:15 and it was quiet. Then - about 10:15, we heard the framing was started. We drove over and - a house was taking shape. By the end of the day, the framing was well on the way. We checked and the pool people had been there also. The location and shape of the pool is laid out and it even looks like we planned.
October 25, 2001
They have had a large crew working on the house for the last two days with highly visible progress. The roof is installed and the first layer of protective material is applied. The inside is framed and ready for the installation of the electrical and plumbing rough-in.
The pool installers have been busy also. The pool hole is dug. What's next is a mystery to me - but it will be fun watching it take shape.
October 26, 2001
The framing crew continues their work. The rooms are taking shape and the layout and sizes can now be appreciated. We hang around and try to picture how it is all going to look in a few weeks.
The pool has not progressed for a couple of days. But --
October 29, 2001
This morning saw a large dump truck and front end loader at the site at 7 AM. These tools were used to remove the material in front of the garage in order to pour the driveway. It’s quite a wide drive as you can see. We went by in the early afternoon and the pool people had just arrived. They were working on the steel and wire to get it in the final position for spraying on the gunite.
October 30, 2001
A quiet day on the home site. Today was spent discussing a small change in the family room window. We want it a little smaller then it is and after some discussion with the construction people, it was agreed.
There was activity in the pool. They seem to have finished the preparation for gunite – even plumbing in what will be the drain in the bottom. They also spent some time framing the Lanai to Pool interface. Looks good according to Linda and Duncan.
October 31, 2001
Well – the day started with a call from "The Plantation." Seems they will put in a smaller window if I go get it. So – off I went to Home Depot. After educating myself - I got what we wanted and dropped it off Waterbridge Court.
The small framing crew continued working installing interior walls. All else was quiet.
November 1, 2001
The framing crew continued working on interior walls. The family room window was framed for the smaller window. A crew started on the roof installing shingles. They stopped working about dusk and are about ½ finished. The special shingles really look good.
November 3, 2001
The constant activity continues. There are several guys working on the roof – installing vents, trim and finishing off the shingles. There are 3 guys inside finishing up the interior framing. Then, in the last two days, they’ve been installing the electrical, smoke alarms, cable, phone, vacuum, and air handling systems. It is showing progress daily.
November 7, 2001
There was activity over the weekend. They finished up the services that needed to be installed in the walls – electric, plumbing, vacuum, pool alarms, smoke alarms, air handling, bathroom vents, The windows went in today and the large doors are there and ready for installation.
Linda and Duncan are ready to move in.
November 8, 2001
Yesterday they insulated the walls and ceiling. A large delivery of siding was made and ready to install. The bricks and mortar are also on site.
The pool had the Gunite “shot” in place on Monday and we can now see it's size and shape. It looks like just what we wanted.
November 10, 2001
The constant activity has continued. The brick on the front of the house has been started and is ½ complete. All the house exterior doors are in. The installation of the front door made the entry start to look inviting.
The wallboard has been distributed to various places in the house. This is to put it where it’s needed I guess. They are not normal 4’ X 8’ sheets – but much larger. How they handle them up onto the vaulted ceiling must be something to see.
Today we received our closing date of 12/19! That is excellent. We will celebrate Christmas in our new home.
We continue furniture shopping and now have ordered most everything we “need.” From here on we will shop for the remainder of the house.
November 12, 2001
They finished up the brick work today – and they started installing siding. It looks great. The wallboard is ready to go on we think and I’m told they do it very quickly.
We’ve been noticing that our house is situated such that it’s visible for ½ mile as you drive towards it on Plantation Boulevard. We will have to pay close attention to it’s appearance from both directions.
November 14, 2001
The last two days have seen lots of progress. The roof has had the last of the trim work completed, the pool has had the tile on the top installed, the siding is making progress and the wallboard has been completely installed. Walking around inside now feels like a house. My little digital camera hasn’t been able to take a good picture – but I’ll keep trying.
November 18, 2001
The wallboard is now complete and the guys who tape and mud have spent two days on the job. They’ve taped and floated all the joints and are ready to prepare for the final coat tomorrow. The siding is almost done. The outside is looking like a real house. This picture is a “computer enhanced” photo of what it might look like in a month or so – without landscaping.
November 20, 2001
The siding is complete all around. Looks great. The interior walls now have been mudded a couple of times and the “orange peel” surface was sprayed on yesterday afternoon. They look ready for paint. The trim and all the cabinets and doors were delivered today.
Today the pool folks were busy installing all the mechanical stuff and finalizing the plumbing. They have the forms in to pour the footing for the cage.
The driveway and walk areas were prepped for pouring concrete also. That should all take place soon.
We drove by after dinner tonight and there were guys working in the dark. They had aimed a pick-up truck, with it’s lights on, towards the front door.
November 22, 2001
Happy thanksgiving
The house is looking more and more complete every day. This view shows you how the kitchen looks today. They are getting ready for some major changes in the next week. The trim, cabinets, counter tops, doors, and many gallons of paint are all now in the house and ready to be installed. It’s a very exciting time.
November 24, 2001
We had a very nice Thanksgiving Dinner with our future, across the street, neighbors. Since then, the crew has been working on installing the doors and trim. We ordered all of the appliances and asked for delivery on 12/13. We got the major ones through GE and the TV’s at Sears (Samsung Electronics).
November 26, 2001
Work continues at Waterbridge Court. Today we met with the Construction Supervisor , Phil, at the house. We wandered around and asked lots of questions. He answered them all and took some action where some was needed. The painters were there and sprayed most of the inside. Men were working on the driveway and walk – getting those ready to pour. The cabinets are in the garage and ready for installation. A very busy construction site.
November 28, 2001
It has been a busy week so far. The cabinets are in the kitchen and all the bathrooms. The countertops are on in the kitchen.
The driveway and walk have been poured and they are both ready for pavers.
The pool people have been busy. They poured the apron around the pool and the footing for “the cage.” They cleaned all the debris off the lanai and textured the pool apron and the lanai.
We met with the landscaper yesterday. After an emotional beginning and a long morning in his SUV, we selected a “Landscaping Package.” This was accomplished without the aid of any plans, landscaping visual aids like photos or even an example of what we are entitled to. Far from a professional presentation.
We went to the house about 5 and there were two men “grading” the lot. Our "Landscaping Package" will be installed soon.
December 3, 2001
The landscaping is continuing. They seem to have run out of sod and are waiting for more. They started erecting the “Cage” today and did some work on the inside. The pool is starting to look inviting.
Flooring is down in a couple of the bathroom and tile is in the foyer and the baths also.
We had our 2nd progress meeting with the Construction Supervisor, Phil, today and he was able to bring us up to date and answer all our questions. He has confidence we will be ready to close on December 19, 2001.
December 5, 2001
The landscaping is almost complete. They are short just a little turf.
Inside is progressing also. The effort the last few days has been on the tile in the bathrooms and foyer. It's now complete and looks great.
The major addition in the last few days is The Cage. Linda is ready and just waiting for water.
December 12, 2001
Well – things have been happening – mostly on the inside. They have finished the landscaping. Inside, they have been finishing off the electrical work, plumbing and putting down floors. It is now a week to closing and they are heading towards finishing that day.
I have no photos to add – Linda and I took a couple of days and went to Disney World to see all the Christmas Decorations and Attractions.
December 13, 2001
There continues to be no electricity in the house. That became important today. All the remaining appliances were delivered. But – they arrived at 6:20 PM – and it is dark at that time. They didn’t feel it was safe to try to move all those appliances around in the dark – let alone install them. So – back to Ocala they went. The delivery has since been rescheduled for 12/17.
December 15, 2001
Still no electricity. The pace has slowed. They seem to apply the resources they have to the “Next” house to close. Ours isn’t it yet.
We had a meeting with the construction supervisor. He assured us he would spend 100% of his time in our house making sure it is finished – on time and correctly.
Today – the carpet man and girl were in the house all day. They installed all the padding and most of the carpet. It looks great.
The Interior Decorator from Babbette's came over this morning and spent a hour with us. He'll help selecting the rest of the furniture and other items we'll need.
Though I haven’t mentioned it, all the mechanicals have been installed during this time.
December 17, 2001
The house was finally electrified. The construction Supervisor called about 10 and said it was done. Today they worked more on the pavers in the walk and drive, finished the installation of the rug and cleaned the floors. Not much else seems to have been done.
The pool installers were supposed to be there all afternoon - they weren't.
The appliances were supposed to arrive again today between 1 and 5. They didn't. We'll try again tomorrow - third times the charm? It may actually be fortuitous – they couldn’t carry them in through the front door because of the newly installed pavers.
The closing is now about 32 hours away and there is still lots to do.
December 18, 2001
Today was “Finish Day” I guess. There were at least 10 folks descended on the house this morning and patched, painted, cut, trimmed, finished the pool, and anything else that needed doing. The appliances even arrived. They all got installed – except the refrigerator. It has to go in through the front door and the pavers aren’t set enough yet. Tomorrow.
We went over about 5 and the painters were just leaving. Jean (Our Sales Person, Our Florida Daughter) came over and we all wondered at how much they had done in one day. It looks great. Bill, our landlord, also stopped by. The house looks great. We are ready !!
December 19, 2001
Today was “Closing Day” on this adventure.
We started with a “Community Orientation.” This was a very informative session explaining all the intricacies of living here. Next we did the “Final Walk Through” with the construction supervisor. This was a little rushed, but ended with a checklist of things yet to do to finish the house. Then – off we went to the Attorneys Office for “The Closing.” This went very smoothly with and only lasted about ½ hour.
Back to Our House. We stopped at the Storage Place along the way and filled the van with various boxes. We stopped at our rental home of the last 2 1/2 months and got Duncan. Then we went to our new Home. We unloaded the van and then went to dinner at “The Tara Club.
December 20, 2001
Today was “Moving Day.” We started early. The Construction Supervisor was on the job and already organizing things that needed fixing.
Linda spent the day unpacking and orchestrating the various delivery trucks and service personnel. I used the van and a borrowed pick-up truck to make trips to the storage shed and back.
All the furniture arrived as planned with the last being the bedroom set. It arrived at about 6:30 PM and the guys got it assembled and in place at just about 7:30.
We stayed here to watch some TV and revel in our new surroundings until 9. Back to the rental house to spend our last night there.
Think of it – 80 days ago, this was an empty lot. Now it’s our dream, retirement home. The Plantation Construction crew has done an outstanding job of organizing and implementing this task. Somehow the Construction Supervisor pulls all the contractors together to get the job done.
Linda has pulled together all the necessary people and things to get us comfortably in our new home on schedule - and color coordinated. All this without a Gant Chart.
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