COVID and supply chain delays added several months to the Chesnutts' building schedule
Building during a pandemic
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STORY & PHOTOS BY ERIN CHESNUTT
When my husband, Charlie, and I purchased our lot in South Ridge Harbor in 2019, “COVID” and “supply chain” were not part of everyday conversation. Little did we know that these events would greatly affect how our dream home on Lake Martin would be built. Decisions, delays and frustration were a direct result of how the world changed during the pandemic. After selling our townhome in The Ridge in November 2020, construction began on our lot in late December 2020. We were excited and planning the normal 10 to 12 months for the building process for our 3,400-squarefoot house. The home includes four bedrooms, three full baths and two powder rooms with a loft area that will serve as an office and extra sleeping space. There is a kitchenette/bar in the basement with a large family room. We also planned a wine room off the bar area and a lake prep area in the basement, as
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well as storage in the back of the house. The porches run the length of the house, so there is about 1,400 square feet of outdoor living space. The upper porch will be screened, and there is a grilling area of the upper and lower porches. While the permitting process wasn’t much trouble, our plans to get the dock in early did not work out. Because of all the rain and COVID, the dock COVID hit the crew was delayed a year. We as foundations were poured had to get the permit for the dock renewed by Alabama Power at additional cost. The cost actually went up once the construction boom started. The dock was installed last summer. As soon as construction began, our builder, Chad Stearns, told us to get the windows ordered because of manufacturing delays. We learned that this was great advice, considering the challenges we were faced with at the time due to manufacturing issues. This was also the first clue that
APRIL 2022
