The original idea was to put an awning for the main door to protect it from rain and heat. These were the main problems that I saw while I was there...water would be pouring into the floor going inside when it rains heavily, and too much heat comes through the windows directly during hotter days!
But our engineer proposed a canopy instead which will be a covered car port, and the space above it will be used as a room extension later on.

We definitely agreed with the idea particularly on the guest room extension. So, instead of focusing on the canopy alone, we decided to let our engineer go ahead with the construction of both the canopy and guest room extension.

And so there were the diggings!..dig, dig and dig!...

More Updates Below!

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The wall stones were installed on the front fence, just on the left side facing the front of the house. So, finally, it was all done. We also let them install the stones on the front wall area of the house like an accent :). It looks a bit different from the rest in the neighborhood which is a cool idea.
I also requested for lettered address to be installed (B2 L12). I was thinking of the BLK and LOT words on it, but the space seems to be so limited. The mail box and the doorbell were already in place as well ;). A few more polishings and all will be done!
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There has been a huge improvement with our area extension at the back and side of the house. Last year, only less than half of it was done. It took a while for us to wait for the roof delivery as there was a delay in the shipment according to our contractor. Well, we always give allowances for cases of delays, hassles, etc...but so far, no major hassles or so.
With all the tiling, roofing and putting some steel bars (door grills for security) at the back to the other side of the house, it is indeed so pleasant and a more convenient feeling to see the area much better...a lot more space to move around and place some stuff.
There is also an additional sink installed, plus two more faucets added for the washer and the sink.
Door grills and an open window with steel bars were also installed at the back and front.
Our back up generator (in case of brown outs) was finally installed on its throne, LOL! The stand is slightly elevated with the generator tightly screwed on it.
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As more constructions of extensions were being done, we thought that putting an outdoor porch (terrace/balcony) upstairs would be a good idea. It will be adjacent from our bedroom going through the walk-in closet. The east portion of the walk-in closet (when facing the road) will be the door going out on it.

Photos below are the updates on the construction. There will be more updates on this once it will be  completely done! ;)
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Instead of using a cement, designed stones are installed mostly on the car port area and extended further for the walkway going to the main door as well. The plain area (without stones) will be a place for a future mini garden. We plan to have that area landscaped later with some floral plants perhaps and some Indian trees possibly that has to be grown in front.
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The House Fence 12/14/2010
 
The original plan was to put a temporary fence surrounding the house. It's almost a month that I have been sleeping a little less because of dog barks and dog fights that happen during the night. Then in the morning, I would see dog poop on my doorsteps, and the trash scattered all around out from the trash bag. I tried to let the trash stay inside during the night but it stinks like crazy!!  So, I thought of calling Craig and it's the time to decide!
After a long talk, we finally were able to decide on letting a concrete fence be installed instead of a temporary fence.  I was able to find the guy who does the fence by the name of Hector ;). He told me the concrete fence can be done within 45 days, 30 days the shortest.
After a long discussion on the construction plan, the construction work started right away after paying the down payment of the total labor cost. Then payment would be provided every after 2 weeks as agreed upon, until it will be paid in full in 4 payments. Hector seems to be doing a great job! We thought he only does the fence and some minor construction works, but to our surprise, he is a civil engineer and has his own work force to do all types of construction jobs.
Here are the photos on the progress of our house fence.
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Cignal TV 12/08/2010
 
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Finally, our prepaid cable subscription, (Cignal TV) was finally installed. I managed to take a photo on the antenna which was attached on the front of the house. We thought of choosing Cignal TV because it seems it is the only one that offers a prepaid subscription. There is a black box that comes with the installment and in it is a slot where you insert the prepaid card which is loadable. It's basically the same as you would when you use a prepaid phone card, only that you use it for a cable subscription.
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Whew! I finally was able to purchase furniture sets and home appliances! I did prioritize my list on which ones come in first. I had to get the kitchen appliances first down to the least needed stuff.
The TV got the least, would you believe it? Lol! Well, I could probably be very well okay without the TV as long as I'm hooked online. I can't seem to live without my ever reliable laptop and Ipad! They are good companions!
Prepaid subscriptions are the ideal thing to do ;).
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The Defects! 11/23/2010
 
Speaking of defects, I think I and Craig spent many hassles dealing with various people that has been directly responsible with the house, including the project director who is based in Manila. I am not sure if these are called "minor" hassles or  big ones, but either one  is not a good thing ;(.
It was a good idea for me to go home and see how the house  while it is being worked upon. There were many defects in the early stages of construction like cracks on the floor that appeared few months after the house was erected. We filed a complaint and the entire floor was redone. It would be a long story to tell some more of the minor defects as well so I might as well take the short cut, lol!
Anyway, I got a photo of the (old) door below that had a crack on it and there was a wide gap from the bottom of the floor to the bottom part of the door itself. It looked like the door was hanging. (See below photos.)


I requested our engineer to add extra charges for a re-installation of a new door, and I told him to get me a sturdy, high quality material that wasn't like the old one installed and worked upon as a "rush", low quality!  So, here it is. They are installing the new door. They also installed a screen door as well, which can help cover the door from the direct heat of the sun. The painting was free of charge, yey! I wasn't able to get a good photo of the finished and completed door but you can see it on some of the photos taken at the front part later...
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The house is somewhat ready...I am thinking of moving in for a few more days. Just a simple sleeping mattress will do for a while in the bedroom. The water and electric lines are in full function, so it shouldn't be  a worry. The surroundings are still a mess. The photo below shows it. They are still working on the electrical post. Each house has one in front of it. That's good!
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