DIY Network

WEB-EXTRA Contractor Profile: Mark and Elaine Donovan; Lakefront Home From "Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes" episode DBCV-112

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Following below is additional information on the New Hampshire lakefront house and the homeowners featured in this episode of DIY's Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes.

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Owner/Builders

Mark Donovan and Elaine Donovan.

Bios

Mark is a Marketing Manager for a High Tech Semiconductor company. He and Elaine have three children (ages 17, 15 and 11).

Home Specifics

Mark: "The house is a contemporary cape, with a wall of windows on the lake side. It is approximately 3000 sq. ft. (including a finished lower level/basement). It includes a wraparound deck, stone fireplace, 3+ bedrooms, 3 baths, kitchen/dining area, great room and small den. In the lower level there is a large recreation room with bar, a bath and another spare room."

Location

It’s located right on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest in central New Hampshire’s Lakes region. Lake Winnipesaukee has 72 square miles of water surface and the distance around it is 182 miles. It is a very popular summer vacation spot.

Why act as his own contractor?

"I wanted to be my own contractor to have control of the style and schedule of completing the home," says Mark. " In addition, he wanted to save money by eliminating a middle man -- the general contractor. I have been involved in building homes or additions to homes since I was a teenager. I worked with my father when I was young helping him on his home improvements, including building additions and in one case framing an entire home."

Involvement In the Construction

Work subcontracted: Mark sub-contracted out the site work (digging foundation, pouring concrete walls, backfilling/grading), leach field design/installation, framing, siding and roofing, electric, plumbing/heating, fireplace, drywalling and insulation, carpeting, and kitchen cabinet installation for the main part of the house. For the lower level, he subcontracted out the drywalling, and plumbing and carpeting.

Work he did himself: "For the main part of the house I did all the interior trim work," says Mark, "including installing doors and bathroom fixtures. I also did the tiling. For the lower level, I did the framing, concrete cutting for the pump-up system for the bath, insulation, electric, tile work, cabinet installation and trim work (including all inside doors). I also put in an additional window in the lower level."

Interesting facts

After successfully completing his lake house, Mark has set up his own website, HomeAdditionPlus.com The website is for the "Do-it-yourself" homeowner who is planning to make home repairs or home improvements to their home. The site provides extensive how-to information, product reviews, project estimators, home articles, and building/planning products that will assist you in home improvement, home remodeling and home building projects.

Challenges

• Weather and sub-contractors not starting or finishing when they were supposed to and long lead times for cabinets and bathroom fixtures.

• Awaiting a septic design took about 7 weeks. This added some risk to the job as we started the project w/o the septic design complete/approved. We were able to do this (with inspector approval) as there was already a 2 bedroom septic design on site. It just created a financial risk to me.

• Interpersonal relationships between multiple subcontractors while on the job.

• In addition, Mark's initial mason for the stone fireplace fell through at the last minute. It was extremely tough finding a mason on short notice (one month notice). It required about 30 calls to find a mason who could do the job in the required time-frame and in the look/fashion that Mark wanted (i.e., real stone).

Mark: " Do your homework, plan ahead and still be mentally prepared for the unexpected. Before starting out as a general contractor, have a set of house plans and put together a detailed schedule. Then get quotes from 2-3 subcontractors for each job that will be sub-contracted out and check references. Finally, be flexible and prepared for unexpected events. Such as subcontractors or inspectors who don’t show up when they are suppose to, bad weather, etc."

RESOURCES :

Investing in a Vacation Home for Pleasure and Profit
Author: James H. Boykin
Order this book from Amazon.com
Publisher: South-Western Educational Pub (2005)
ISBN: 0324314116

How a Second Home Can Be Your Best Investment: New, Tax-Free Methods for Using a Vacation Home for Recreation, Retirement and Investment
Authors: Tom Kelly, John Tuccillo
Order this book from Amazon.com
Publisher: McGraw-Hill (2004)
ISBN: 0071429700

HomeAdditionPlus.com
This website was set up by the guest featured in episode 112 of Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes. The site is for the "Do-it-yourself" homeowner who is planning to make home repairs or home improvements to their home. The site provides extensive how-to information, product reviews, project estimators, home articles, and building/planning products that will assist you in home improvement, home remodeling and home building projects.