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Florida Man Takes on Building a Home in Three Months

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David Gydosh, president of Tundra Homes was on for the race of his life last July when the permit for his new 8,000 sq. ft. home on the Caloosahatchee River was pulled and he had just three months to finish building a home for him and his family, according to this article by the Fort Myers News Press.

The permit was pulled because of an Eagle’s nest 660-feet away. The permit was pulled on July 8 2013 and Gydosh had until Oct. 1 to get everything done before eagle nesting season began from Oct. 1 to May 15.

“It’s a nightmare,” Gydosh thought. “It nearly gave me a heart attack with all the anxiety.”

State and federal eagle laws, enforced by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), require that no outside construction take place within 660 feet of a bald eagle’s nest tree during nesting season.

That was something Gydosh did not plan for and last summer was also one of the wettest summers Gydosh had seen since.

building a home

A picture of Gydosh’s new home, taken from the Fort Myers News Press.

The Challenge of Building a Home in Just Three Months

He worked meticulously with all his subcontractors. He hired a private engineer who could do all the inspections on his schedule, instead of having to wait for county inspectors because there wouldn’t be enough time for that.

“Our subs were really great,” Gydosh said. “They knew what we were up against. All outside work including the driveway and roof had to be done. That was our attitude. We had no choice, it had to be done.”

Finally the deadline came and Gydosh was not yet finished. Thankfully, the eagles did not return to their nest by then and Gydosh was given two more weeks to put on the finishing touches.

“October 1 rolled around and there were no birds doing their housework on the nest so we let them work two weeks into October as long as the bald eagles weren’t back,” Beth Workman, environmental planner for Lee County Environmental Sciences, said. “You try to walk a fine line. We have these regulations and we have to follow the laws, but this is someone’s house, so we try to work with them.”

When the eagles returned to their home, Gydosh was already enjoying his. The exterior of the four-bedroom, six-bathroom home with its exercise room, movie/TV room, prayer room, infinity pool and large family room overlooking the water was done.

“We’re really proud of it,” Gydosh said. “It’s great to see this come through and actually work.”

Are you Thinking about Building a Home?

If you’re thinking about building your own home, Realtor.com has some helpful tips to get you started.

First it’s important to fully understand your contract, plan for everything and we mean everything, put everything in writing because you just never know, avoid going over budget, be prepared for surprises, ask questions and keep the relationship with your builder professional.

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