TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Building your Baja dream home

BajaGringo,

Isn't this building in Baja a barrel of fun ?
Did it in the early 90's. Good size house. In those days, no cement trucks, pumptrucks and any other equipment we took for granted in the States. Mixed lots of concrete on pliewood out front. Had a bucket chain going to pour the second floor. Fun,fun,fun !! But it did get done. Only took 3 years. Never a moment of regret.
If you will get half the enjoinment out of your place we got out of ours, you'll be very content indeed. This is what we ended up with.

Originally Posted by edinnopolo

BajaGringo,

Isn't this building in Baja a barrel of fun ?
Did it in the early 90's. Good size house. In those days, no cement trucks, pumptrucks and any other equipment we took for granted in the States. Mixed lots of concrete on pliewood out front. Had a bucket chain going to pour the second floor. Fun,fun,fun !! But it did get done. Only took 3 years. Never a moment of regret.
If you will get half the enjoinment out of your place we got out of ours, you'll be very content indeed. This is what we ended up with.

That looks huge Ed. How many s.f. is your house?

Originally Posted by oladulce

That looks huge Ed. How many s.f. is your house?

It's not really all that big. Plan states 5400 sq. ft, but lots of that footage is patio area and a 6 ft walkway along the upstairs to keep the sun off the walls.
As a matter of fact, sometimes it feels like our 2200 sq. ft home in Sacramento was roomier for some reason. I designed the place myself, with the living, dining areas and kitchen all in one. The groundfloor and upstairs have nearly identical layouts. ( Bottom was original meant for mother in law, but never quite worked out. ) Comes from experience, In every house I ever owned, half the space was hardly ever used. Everyone uses the kitchen and so called family room, for instance, and the dining room and living room become areas that just take up footage.
Have a new camera coming next week and can put it to good use posting some pictures here for anyone interested.

OMG!!!! Edinnopolo....is THAT the Inn at Nopolo? I know where I'm going to look for lodging if I'm ever in your neighborhood!

Originally Posted by edinnopolo

BajaGringo,

Isn't this building in Baja a barrel of fun ?
Did it in the early 90's. Good size house. In those days, no cement trucks, pumptrucks and any other equipment we took for granted in the States. Mixed lots of concrete on pliewood out front. Had a bucket chain going to pour the second floor. Fun,fun,fun !! But it did get done. Only took 3 years. Never a moment of regret.
If you will get half the enjoinment out of your place we got out of ours, you'll be very content indeed. This is what we ended up with.

Great looking place Ed - the process is half the fun!!! If you have any photos of your construction process it would be nice to have you post a new thread on that so we can see...

OK Ed, I gave you a thread - now you have to do your part...

Terrific house, Ed. We did similar with overhangs for shade.

does Ed know yet he has his own thread?

I'm enjoying all the construction posts, the good, the bad, and the OMG.


Ed's place looks super, BGringo's is shaping up nicely also. LongLegs, any "finished" pictures to round out your story?

I think everybody needs to PM Ed to let him know...

You people seem to forget that this house was build in the early 90's. No digital cameras in those days. At least, not for me. So, all I have is regular pics of the construction, and if you think for just a moment that I even consider scanning all this sh*t, you will have a surprise coming. Have lot better things to do with my time, especially when ,at 74 , it's running out. Here a small pic of what I rather do.

And Carol, like Steve and Ana, you're welcome to come stay with us. Don't forget the guest and fish rule, however.

Maybe he's still playing around with his new camera.

Originally Posted by kate

Maybe he's still playing around with his new camera.

Hey, just lucky I can still play with something. Most things I used to play with I commited to memory, and even that is rapidly fading.
This getting old sh*t is not for the fainthearted.
However, what I remember, is sure worthy of a big smile.

Ed......
Your mention of the bucket brigade of cement carriers brought back memories of Mazatlán in the mid-sixties. I'd sit for hours watching, seemed like a hundred men doing the same thing, up and down rickety ramps and across narrow, shakey scaffolding while building a large hotel on the Malecón. When I was there, they were on the third floor. They worked right on into the night with terrible lighting. What a sight, a true National Geographic moment

Originally Posted by Gruñón

Ed people of your advanced years should not put off until tomorrow what can be done on what could be their last day.

Send the photos to legs and have her scan and build a computer file for you.

She has a lot of spare time.

Having built 3 homes in La Paz, she shouldn't need my stuff. Should have plenty of her own.
Waiting !!!!!

Originally Posted by DENNIS

Ed......
Your mention of the bucket brigade of cement carriers brought back memories of Mazatlán in the mid-sixties. I'd sit for hours watching, seemed like a hundred men doing the same thing, up and down rickety ramps and across narrow, shakey scaffolding while building a large hotel on the Malecón. When I was there, they were on the third floor. They worked right on into the night with terrible lighting. What a sight, a true National Geographic moment

Yeah Dennis.
Talking about Mazatlan, I was there in the late 70's ,early 80's and they were building a resort hotel in the Golden Zone. Were at the 7th floor and mixing the cement with a small mixer and the ingredients on plywood, and bucketing it into wheelbarrows, which were hauled up 7 floors by hand on a small tripod thingy, located on the upper floor. Talk about amazing.
Used to stay at the Sands motel (now Las Arenas) in those days, poverty being the main reason. Senor Frogs was their tenant in those days. Lots of fun, but noise difficult to sleep through at night. They moved down the road and the motel decided to build a 9 story wing on that site. Came back 3 years later, and was wondering why there were only 3 floors. Well, had a quake the year before that knocked buildings down up and down the coast and decided that 9 stories wouldn't be quite safe. Don't you just love Mexico.

Originally Posted by edinnopolo

Don't forget the guest and fish rule, however.

My dad always used that one - something like they both start to stink after three days???

Originally Posted by edinnopolo

Yeah Dennis.
Talking about Mazatlan, I was there in the late 70's ,early 80's and they were building a resort hotel in the Golden Zone. Were at the 7th floor and mixing the cement with a small mixer and the ingredients on plywood, and bucketing it into wheelbarrows, which were hauled up 7 floors by hand on a small tripod thingy, located on the upper floor. Talk about amazing.
Senor Frogs was their tenant in those days. Lots of fun

Wow.....Construction had come a long way by then. The guys I watched were carrying those full buckets up from the street. I don't remember how they mixed it but, I can guess.
Señor Frogs was there then, '65 +-. It was a hoot. Did you ever get down to the Pacifico Beer Garden? A HUGE place with Mariachis playing everywhere. A Schooner of draught Pacifico was less [I think half] than a peso which was 8 cents then. A bottle of Pacifico in a beach bar was a full peso.
Oh Boy....I'm starting to get sad.

Originally Posted by edinnopolo

You're welcome to come stay with us. Don't forget the guest and fish rule, however.

Had my scanner packed, the cat, dogs & birds sitting in the car....ready to head out on a mission of kindness & BAM! you invoke the fish & guest 3-day rule? Ya can't stifle high caliber work by holding a stopwatch over someones' head, ya know!

I totally understand why it took over 3 years to get that place built if you were swapping out the construction crew every 3 days!

I can relate....casa #1 was built during my pre-digital days, so ya wanna see the pics, it won't be an electronic viewing!

Originally Posted by BajaNuts1

I'm enjoying all the construction posts, the good, the bad, and the OMG.

Ed's place looks super, BGringo's is shaping up nicely also. LongLegs, any "finished" pictures to round out your story?

Nuts, of course I do....but I've been devoting most of my time the past couple weeks to figuring out the IRS requirement of reporting fideicomiso as a trust. Researching that & getting straight answers out of the IRS is more of an uphill battle than building 3 casas in La Paz!

Then, too, there was the post by a person who must have been unanimously voted in (I missed that particular poll!) as overall site & quality control critic for post content who issued the following statement, apparently on behalf of the full TB membership: "bores hell out of others in the community with inflexible construction suggestions and progress fotos". You mean to tell me you didn't nominate him to speak on YOUR behalf? Gee, and he sounded so like the Official Site Spokesperson!!

Eventually, when life calms down to a dull roar & I can make several 3-day trips to edinnopalos' place to get all his Kodak moments scanned, cataloged & posted, then I'll get back to "boring the hell out of you" with more of my pics! Unfortunately, this place is still a work in progress, so it may be a while before I can post truly "after" pics.

I notice that these moderators take their work seriously.