Florida Lifestyle Homes of Fort Myers creates true custom homes

Submitted Florida Lifestyle Homes' construction workers have begun the concrete block and cement second-story of this six-bedroom custom home in the Moorings neighborhood in Naples.

When Florida Lifestyle Homes creates a custom home, it starts with the clients vision of the perfect home. But building a true custom home requires not only the vision of the client but the construction expertise to make the dream home a reality. That often means meeting unusual challenges.

As a Southwest Florida custom homebuilder for more than 20 years, weve had broad personal experience meeting our customers needs, said Bill Ennen, president and founder of Florida Lifestyle Homes. Weve built homes on sites with size limitations, and weve built homes that met extreme design requirements. Now we are building a custom home in the Moorings with some unique challenges.

The Moorings home designed for Ernie and Bonnie Gralia reflects the owners wishes for a spacious design with an open floor plan. The two-story home includes six bedrooms, six full baths, two half-baths, and a three-car garage with 4,747 square feet of living area and 6,063 total square feet. But the home also includes features not common in Southwest Florida. Gralia requested that the two-story home be built entirely of concrete block and cement.

Traditionally in this area, the second-story walls of a home are wood, Ennen said. In this case, the walls and the second floor are concrete block and cement and that involved meeting a few challenges.

The construction required additional structural support to hold up the second-story floor as well as equipment to lift 4-by-30-foot slabs of cement and swing them into place. The process, he noted, is also labor intensive, and required core drilling to accommodate pipes, wiring and duct work for the homes mechanical systems. It required a special design to create a tray ceiling on the first floor, with a solid cement second floor.

Gralia, who is a commercial contractor with offices based outside of Springfield, Mass., said he and his wife interviewed several builders before selecting Florida Lifestyle Homes to meet the challenges of their new home.

Im in the building business myself, Gralia said. Before selecting a builder, we visited Quail West, toured the models, and we talked to several builders. We liked Bill (Ennen) and his staff. We liked the fact that it wasnt a huge operation, so you were dealing with the principals in the business.

Bonnie found a floor plan in a magazine that she liked, Gralia said, but it was only a rough design. The structural and interior details were completed working with the design staff at Florida Lifestyle Homes.

There are many other projects that reflect the professional capabilities and flexibility of Florida Lifestyle Homes, said Ron Vandenack, director of sales for Florida Lifestyle Homes. Our newest model at Quail West, the Antigua, is a showcase of dramatic design and elegant finishes.

Continued here:
Florida Lifestyle Homes of Fort Myers creates true custom homes