That's just a catchy title - we are NOT experts BUT we do have first hand experience and I want to share what that experience has been like.
First, I'd like to apologize for being such a crappy friend/family member. The days and weeks (and months) are passing so fast. Kevin has been working 70 hour work weeks (his full time job AND the construction projects) for 4 months now. It's definitely taking its toll. I do what I can on my own but besides cleaning and organizing, I'm not much help.
Onto to the tiny homes...
In September and most of October (2023) we were debating, researching, contemplating and analysing all the different costs, benefits, pitfalls and timelines of using specific building materials.
We considered a trailer (mobile home) reasonably priced but not durable enough and certainly not as appealing as the other options. A shipping container house which almost won us over until we looked at the cost of properly insulating it and the amount of welding not to mention a difficult approval process. A popular/common option for this island is cement/cement block which makes access to materials easier but the costs have climbed significantly in the last 12 months and in terms of labor; we knew it would be a longer process because we were relying on only my Uncle, my husband, a close family friend and myself. Finally, we decided on a prefabricated wood structure that would come ready to assemble, a predesigned layout, including floor, windows, door and roof; it wasn't the most inexpensive option but time is money and we were confident that we could get these built quicker than any other house type. We used the website pineca.pt - I had done so much investigating, comparing the different websites, for wood structures and this was my favorite. They allowed you to pick and choose (a la carte) every add-on or upgrade. You could choose to build it yourself or hire a team. They clearly had access to the floor plans and thankfully, they allowed for architectural modifications. This is the part where I explain the paperwork side. Every region, country, municipality, village, island, subdivision... is different. We hired an architect, as insisted by the city planning engineer, and we sent him a few of the models that we liked on the Pineca website. He said we had to make changes due to the rules and regulations governing local lodging/tourism. The manufacturer asked for the alternative design plan that the architect had to provide and once it went through the proper channels ( 9 weeks later and an additional 20% fee on the overall cost), we finally came to a solution that met everyone's needs.
From January until late May, we spent that time preparing the property. We had to create the foundation which was also specific to the architects design plan. We had some outside help - labors of a friend, of a friend - they said they knew what they were doing and since I don't know what that looks like, I failed to catch a really big mistake made while my uncle and husband were at work. The first foundation was completed with the help of these men so I assumed they knew and saw what needed to be done with the second foundation. When they laid the concrete, they didn't level it properly (at all) and definitely didn't take into consideration the height in comparison with the first laid base. This error has reviberated in every step of the continued construction. Now, we will need 3-steps to get to the front door of the second home whereas the first house will be a single step up from ground level. Moral of the story here is: help (paid for or free) always carries a price. OH! Another moral of the story: don't let your wife, who has only worked in an office all her life, be the inspector/coordinator of ANY construction jobs.
The tiny homes arrived in 3 six metre (almost 20 feet) long pallets PER house. Our experience with the unpacking of the pallets was... interesting. It was the first time seeing the numbered wood pieces and even after reading the installation guide front to back (twice), it didn't seem to have a very organized flow when it came to the sequenced pallets. It became quickly apparent that we would not get to the bottom pieces of the structure without unloading ALL the wood so that's what we did. We started mounting the wood on the foundation around 6pm and had most of the house built (minus the roof and the gable) by 8:30pm.
This victorious feeling gave us the momentum to come back the next day with the highest of hopes to complete one whole house within two days. Our hope was dashed real quick, like the plug being removed from an air mattress while you're still lying on it. Since we had ordered the double wall frame with insulation, we had held off on any upper pieces of wood that would encase the windows and door. We returned to the job site with the insulation, thinking we would drop it into place from above; we were very wrong on this assumption (and shame on Pineca for not being clear on the instructions for how best to incorporate the insulation). After sending an email to the company to ask for a guide or image on how best to install the insulation, we received screen shots from their end showing vapor barrier type wrapping, a piece of wood (long and skinny), the insulation itself and tape, all meant to fit in-between the walls AS ITS BEING BUILT. These items did not fit, not even a little bit, in some areas the insulation all on its own was a struggle to put into place. An executive decision was made to place the insulation on the walls with windows and the door. We also decided to use the insulation in the roof and the floor. Hindsight; we should have done it ONLY in the floor and roof because not all of the electrical (wires/switches/plugs) could be hidden in the walls where the insulation was taking up space. Another hindsight moment was the upgrade to a metal roof instead of the standard shingles that would come with the base model. The metal is flimsy at best. It looks good but we are concerned on how well it will hold up with the winter wind. When it needs to be repaired or replaced, we plan to use the local roofing material, clay tile OR order the metal roof with built-in insulation.
Aside from some twisted wood, the second tiny home went up like a flash. We were better equipped this time with the process, we even had most the diagram and instructions memorized. We wanted the second home to be mirrored so a few glances at the instruction manual were needed but I was really impressed at our skill at remembering the numbers on the boards.
The nit-picky little things are what we are working on now. Shower install's, kitchen set-ups, baseboards, quarter-round, casings and overall interior wood treatment. We have every intention of staying in one of the houses (the one I call Casinha Melissa which directly translates to Melissa Tiny House) as of August 20th. The other Tiny House aka Casinha Kevin, will be ready this month as well. The only thing left before I can put these babies online for rent is the landscaping of the property and the final inspection done by the city.
I forgot to mention that the homes are 36sq metres each in size, which converts to just under 380sq feet. The bathroom is a very good size, since that was the reasoning on changing the floor plan. There is one big space as living room and bedroom, and a small corner kitchen. It's a glorified hotel room with its one roof, no attached neighbors, free parking and a view to rival all views in Sant'Ana do Pico.
For our friends and family, readers of my blog, please feel free to reach out personally for more info or any perspective dates that you would like to block off for your stay on Pico island. Our close friends Stu and Diane are looking to come just before winter and I heard from my one cousin who is interested in touring the islands soon too, I am beyond excited (and anxious) to see this dream come to fruition.
Check out the flights at https://www.azoresairlines.pt/en our airport code is PIX 😘
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