This is continuation of "Careful what you choose":

Our home has had its CO since 2014.  During that time many things have happened, nothing substantially bad.  We have been on a new learning curve.  The first learning curve was building our home.  Now we are learning what it is like to travel back and forth and maintain our vacation home in the Bahamas.

First, being able to have more time to surf and dive is fabulous but it is coming with a cost that we did not fully have a grip on.  The cost has been the maintenace.  At four years in, things have begun to need some constant up keep.  That does not sound like vacation to me.  This ties back into "Careful what you choose."  This also ties back into "what we would change."  We have several factors that are re-occurring and becoming more frequent.  If you are truly considering having a vacation home near the ocean...pay attention.  Ultimately you want to be on "vacation" in your home.   We chose poorly for our railings on the upstairs porches.  The railing are aluminum and to USA condo standards.  They are sturdy and well built.  The paint job is the problem.  The paint started flaking off after the first year and steadily increased every year after.  We are using a can of epoxy spray paint to fix the spots as they occur.  I think we are close to repainting the whole thing by now.  We want our home to look perfect.  This railing is a giant pain in the ass!  We are thinking of taking the railings down and bringing them to a local body shop for sanding and repainting.  We are frustrated.  We paid $6,000 for these railings and we don't want to pitch them in the trash.  We are exploring our options.  So we would definitely change these if we were doing this again and choose more wisely.  Next, is our porches upstairs and outside lights.  They have to be rinsed at least once a month.  If you do not take off the salt and dirt, things begin to mold.  If you go three months it will take bleach.  Cleaning the porches is a two day project and  fixing the railings is usually a two day project.  Let's see 2+2=4.  Yep, if you only have a week to be there you are now down to 3 days left.  I hope you are reading and feeling my frustration.

As you can see I write this more for me than anyone reading it.  It is therapy.  I am asked many times by friends.....how is your house in the Bahamas? I answer "Oh it is lovely, nothing to complain about."  Liar, Liar pants on fire.  Now, you are probably thinking "can't you hire someone to do this?" Yes and No...We are in the process of making up a one month, three month, and yearly maintenance plans.  We have had mixed success with hiring out the maintenance.  Consistency is the major problem.  Whether it be in the USA or the Bahamas, contractors have a trend of telling you what you want to hear and just not delivering on the promises long term.  Of course it also costs more to have someone else do the work and to be truthful you will need to be there.  This all rolls back to "Careful what you choose."  Maintenance free are heavenly words.  I do not believe that actually exists, kind of like unicorns but it is something to look and strive for.

We do have other maintenance issues that are constant.  These things are not sexy or interesting.  These things are extremely important if you want to live anywhere near the ocean, build and still try to be on vacation.
*Keeping the outside clean, includes: porches/rafters/outside lights/walkways/windows (keeping the salt off is constant) etc.
*The yard: grass/weeds/ cutting the bushes...fun...fun
*Houskeeper:  Do you like to clean house?  At least get someone who will clean when you leave.  I do. It was mandatory.  I am not cleaning house on vacation.  I keep telling my self that maybe one day it will be true.
*Electrical equipment: Lights/appliances/ TV/ and the big  one...AC units (maintance every 4 months people)
*Window and door maintenance in a salt environment is mandatory every 3 months.

There you have it, the majors of home maintenance.  There are other things but these keep you hopping.  We are on a mission for a Bahamian to start a business for vacation home management.  No one does it on Eleuthera.  They would make a mint.

That will be it for now.  My therapy is complete.  Getting it off my chest is cathartic.