[Nana2Teddy]

Originally Posted by pikeselectric

Hi Gigi, This is Casandra, with Pike's Electric. Just wanted to chime in on this if I may. Whole Home Surge Protection is considered a device installed at your electrical panel in the garage. You may have also been offered this from your power company (Duke, SECO, etc.) however they install a device on your meter outside. Individual (SAPS) Or Surge Arrestor Protectors, that plug into the wall locally, then you plug in your device (TV, Computer, Fridge, Etc.) will suppress a surge if for some reason it travels through the home's circuitry to that item. We have a lot of information on surges, what they are, and why it is so important to protect your home on our website here: https://pikeselectric.com/protection-from-power-surges/
Please let us know if you have further questions! - Casandra 352-748-6251

Casandra, is the surge protector installed by SECO on our meter enough, or do we need the whole house one installed on the electrical panel too?

[Nana2Teddy]

Originally Posted by JOERILLA

Mike...ignore the haters on here who judge from their keyboards or are jealous because they can't afford the improvements you have done....It’s your house and you should be proud of it and what you have done. We are in Richmond as well and have done many of the things on your list. We also can't hear the turnpike or see power lines anywhere...despite what some posters here (who have never even ventured south of 466A let alone 44) would want people to believe!

Amen to this from a happy DeLunatic enjoying my brand new home. 😄

[Nana2Teddy]

Originally Posted by rsmurano

OP, is that all you did? I did most of what you said you did and going to do and have done much more:
Added a new car, enclosed lanai with double pane windows, raised the lanai floor to match height of house and put the same tile down as the house, tiled front entrance, added new slab and birdcage, added a hot tub, automated whole house, changed all network wiring to actually be used for Ethernet instead of phones, ripped up bedroom carpet and put engineered wood floors down, had our master closet custom built with shelf’s up to the ceiling, made 1 bedroom into a craft room with custom cabinets along 1 wall, changed out wall switches to smart switches for motion and lighting.
This has turned out to be the most expensive brand new home remodel ever and still going!

Yep! Us too! Have spent the last 6 months improving our brand new DeLuna home, and loving every minute of it. Have several more projects upcoming.

[Nana2Teddy]

Originally Posted by westernrider75

We absolutely love our solar tubes and they were very reasonable IMO.

From the posts I’ve seen, lightning rods are in the $1500 range, still on the fence about them and I wish State Farm would give a discount for installation but at this time they do not.

The lightning rods quotes are coming in at $2500+ from what I’ve been seeing on Facebook this week. This is with A-1 Lightning systems. I’ve read you have to be careful who you hire because they’re useless if not installed correctly.

[Nana2Teddy]

Originally Posted by Michael 61

Thank you for better articulating where I am coming from - you are spot on! I did a ton of homework and research prior to buying where I did. If I was unhappy with my home or location, I would not be doing the upgrades on my house. Sure, there are things I’d change (like maybe having less short-term rentals in my neighborhood), but I absolutely love where I live, and have begun to get close with many of my neighbors, who are now good friends. Honestly, thinking about resale and getting my money back on my upgrades is NOT my primary consideration. This is my retirement home. I worked long and hard (like most TV retirees) for many, many years, and I am now in the position where I can customize my home to my liking. I plan to stay put as long as I can where I’m at (I Know, I’ve heard the average villager moves three times). I just got through with a major down-size when I moved here, and I find having less “things” to be liberating and refreshing. The size of my villa is perfect for me - I can’t see myself wanting “more” house, and wanting to move in the future.

I’m just sharing my journey here, realizing everyone is different, and respecting and celebrating different decisions that others make. Hey, we’re all retired, so let’s enjoy ourselves and create homes where we will be happy.

Perfectly said! I’m with you 100%! 👍🏻

[Laker14]

Michael, I have read many of your posts and watched your visit with Newcomers. I admire your enthusiasm and positive attitude. It's astonishing to me how often a positive post generates negative comments. My analysis is people are envious of your happiness and wish to shoot it down. Carry on with your plan. This is the time of your life to enjoy what you've worked for, so if you can swing it, do it.
Make it what you want, where you want it.
And, if you make some decisions along the way, that down the road you think, "hmm...wish I hadn't done that one..."...that's just life.

Enjoy the trip!

[Michael 61]

Thanks everyone for such positive and encouraging posts - you folks are a big part of why I am so happy here in TV - Besides the great, active lifestyle, it’s the people that make TV such a wonderful place to retire. I received some really good feedback a few months ago here from TOTV users, when I was considering leaving the forum over a few trolls and nay-sayers. I was advised to ignore this tiny, but vocal minority, and enjoy the helpful comments of the vast majority here. I joined TOTV one year ago next week (the one-year anniversary of my first lifestyle visit), and it has been an instrumental resource in helping me choose TV as my home, and has been a valuable aid in the buying of my home, relocating and moving from Colorado, getting set up with everything you need when you first buy a home, learning about all the amenities TV has to offer, and now working with contractors to customize my home.

Going forward, I am committed to helping others who are new to TV to become acclimated to our wonderful community as we continue to grow and prosper here.

The Villages keeps getting better each day!