We're monitoring the development with respect to electrical vehicles closely and see an ever increasing customer base and thus need for charging capabilities. Having travelled longer distances with an EV ourselves, we know that having a charger available is giving great peace of mind and improves the overall charging infrastructure.
So we installed an Autel Charger that guests can use easily with the Autel app. Costs for charging are directly charged through the app to your credit card. With a charging speed of up to 10 kWh, the charger can charge even the largest battery to a 100% while you're sound asleep in the comfortable beds, so you're ready for your next adventure the next morning.
The charger is located in the garage and thus protected from the elements.
The hurricane didn't only leave visible damages. Many had to seriously think about how to recover from the storm. Because this weather event impacted such a huge area to such a significant extent, not only things took longer but also got even more expensive due to the high demand. And that at a time where costs for building and repairing homes already skyrocketed as an effect from the pandemic.
Well, it wouldn't be us, if we hadn't always ideas to further improve the home to make it truly ours and continuously improve and enhance our guests' stay. 😁
So we reprioritized our backlog of ideas and focused on the pool deck though. Since the space was very limited for loungers around the pool, we thought of extending the lanai across the whole front years ago already. So was this the time to realize that idea? Well, at least there couldn't be a better time to do it. The pool enclosure had to be replaced completely anyway. So why not making it a little bigger? Let's do it!
So we had the lanai extended in a first step including a walkway from the patio down to the dock, so nobody had to walk through the gras anymore. (Note: There was a door in the pool enclosure directly down to the dock that we had removed because of safety concerns due to the steepness of the stairs.) Next we had the pooldeck cleaned and painted with a fresh yellow tone that perfectly matched with the exterior paint. In February the new pool cage was installed - finally. The new pool enclosure was bronze and features picture windows that are way bigger than before without the distraction of posts and structures. Also the bushes got removed to install the walkway which now allows for great, undistracted views to the canal.
The newly added, enclosed area in front of the guest room now invites for sunbathing. And also the grill found a new place on the extension, so there's less smoke and fumes making it into the home.
Unfortunately, Ian uprooted one of the coconut palm trees in the front yard and one of the smaller palm trees next to the driveway. Also we had a brown section in the lawn of the front yard. So we went out to find a landscaping company that could help us fix those issues and improve the appearance of the home.
We cut the palm tree to dispose it but weren't able to get it replaced for a reasonable price. So there's only one coconut palm tree left. 😩 We had the bushes at the entrance replaced and found a landscaper who replaced the smaller palm tree, put in new lawn patches and planted the Avocado from the planting pot in the front into the backyard.
In addition to all that, the landscaper installed new LED light posts along the driveway all the way up to the entrance, so guests won't have to walk to the entrance in the dark.
In 2017, only 6 months after we closed on our home, hurricane Irma approached the home. We knew there was always a chance for a hurricane during hurricane season. Yet, we were completely unprepared, far away watching weather updates like every 30 minutes, and of course hoping for the best.
Were we better prepared this time? Somewhat. We had plywood cut to fit the openings, a hurricane preparedness kit, lot of information sources at hand, and some experience. But still; the closer hurricane Ian came, the more we were concerned. Not knowing what's going on, is just the hardest part. Particularly as power and internet go down at some point. But it's not only your own property you're concerned about. It's also neighbors, friends, and other people you worry about.
Destroyed pool enclosure
Luckily all openings were shuttered
Mango tree down
Mango tree destroyed pool enclosure
Debris in pool
Cleanup - it's all gonna be beautiful again
So right after Ian passed, Steve and a dear Co-Worker drove from Alabama to Florida to inspect and document the damages, so we could file the claim with the insurance and start recovery so we'd prevent further damage - like the pool pump sucking in debris or metal eroding in the pool water.
The hurricane uprooted the beautiful and more than 20 year old Mango tree that fell into the pool enclosure and parts into the canal. The pool enclosure was also severely damaged by the wind itself on the other side. So the first action was to cut the branches of the tree in smaller pieces and put them on the curbside for collection as well as getting the enclosure’s metal structure out of the pool.
Due to the damage, we paused renting out our home and worked diligently on the recovery over the next months. In January 2023 we resumed rentals. First without pool enclosure. But in February the new enclosure was already installed. Only 5 months after Ian destroyed it.
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