CASE STUDY: A Forever Beach House in the Bay
How this Texas family managed a full-scale renovation at a distance - and completed it all in just 90-days!
Living the Dream: If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like investing in foreign real estate, managing a renovation long-distance and making the move to Mexico with a young school-aged family in tow, this couple from Austin Texas has the full story. And you won't want to miss this!
The project included overhauling the beautiful pool deck with new slip-proof tile and furnishing nearly 7,000 sq ft of livable space
How it Looks: Now fully rehabbed and refurnished as a longterm family vacation residence, this high floor penthouse residence features expansive views of the iconic Marina Vallarta MX playground below and an immense traditional palapa-covered pool deck with four newly renovated en suites for family and friends. Here’s how they designed it at a distance, step by step.
How it Started: After previewing numerous properties with realtor Alecia Masters of Hogar Realty, these experienced international real estate investors chose a legacy property in the Marina Vallarta area on ocean frontage and immediately embarked on a full-scale renovation. The first step was to assess and rehab the 20+ year old fixtures, finishes and tilework to update and customize it for their own family use. This included a completely new kitchen, all new appliances, all washrooms gutted down to the studs, extensive remodeling and drywall work, a full lighting plan with soffit and LED lights throughout, major repairs to plumbing and HVAC and finally overhauling the beautiful pool deck with new slip-proof tile.
Then came the fun part - refurnishing nearly 7,000 sq ft of livable space. A family of avid gamers, they chose a 100ft Smart TV to be mounted in the media room, which required hoist delivery up over 24 flights to the top floor. To complete the cozy seating area, we installed beautiful double lined noise cancelling drapes to partition off the area for privacy on movie nights. Cue the gourmet popcorn on their first visit!
To complete the cozy seating area, we installed beautiful double lined noise cancelling drapes to partition off the media room for privacy on movie nights.
How they Did It: To help them manage this detailed 90-day renovation at a distance and provide complete peace of mind,, we implemented the full CRATE Interiors project management system which includes these key sequences:
Detailed bids and quotes packages in English and Spanish, using both USD and MXP currency conversions.
Project comps pulled from over 5 consecutive years of full-scale renovations, and over 14 years of interior design projects delivered.
Approval sign-offs and specification packs for each service - more than 7 crews or work teams in total!
Twice weekly onsite inspections, weekly progress reports including project fotos and a systematic punchlist in place tracking over 500 separate action items!!
Clear and transparent invoicing every 30 days with worksheets, purchase orders and trades quotes all available on owners portal for review.
Detailed post project analysis of budgeted vs actual to determine owners exact investment. This project completed within 10% of target budget based on our GOOD-BETTER-BEST scenarios.
A final packet of invoicing for investment/ tax purposes
Post install aftercare, ongoing maintenance and warranty options
On time completion within 90 days, furnished, staged and delivered to owners for their first test stay.
After completing a full kitchen remodel, we tackled the washrooms and gutted them down to the studs. This process reclaimed valuable counter space in the Primary Bedroom where owners needed it the most.
Ready for the Big Reveal: Needless to say, after 90-days of continuous workflow these owners were super anxious for the big reveal. And they were especially excited to see and stay in their new place in paradise for the first time. After a comprehensive in-person walkthrough they expressed high praise for our class A rated trade crews and the overall outcome of this project. As seasoned investors with properties fully managed in other resort destinations, they made so many savvy decisions throughout the 3-month process about what to keep and what to discard. It was a pleasure to help bring their creative vision of a classic, cozy beachhouse to life.
In Their Words:
“We just arrived back to paradise and the condo looks really good! Your tile crew is AMAZING!!!! The work on the pool deck is the best we have ever seen. The electrician team is so precise and detailed. Can't wait to get everything put in place and get the full effect. Thanks to your talented trades, it all looks so great.”
EMJM, Austin TX Penthouse Renovators
A forever family home to live, work and play. Every space was designed for this family’s active, multigenerational lifestyle.
Begin Your Own Journey: This project was truly a labor of love for our crew and their happiness means the world to all of us! If this is your year to invest in a legacy property and create a new luxury villa, vacation home or rental property in paradise, schedule your FREE Discovery Call today and let’s create it together.
