How did Bayhouse Villa become my home? Well the original plan for moving to Virgin Gorda was to live in the office, a two bedroom house on Millionaire Road.
Hurricane Irma
But then Hurricane Irma came through, the house was completely destroyed , and the owners chose not to rebuild. We lost pretty much everything in the house. Anything not lost in the storm was picked over by looters.
I didn’t get to experience it, but I’ve been told that right after the storm, Bayhouse Villa was a total wreck. The doors were blown in while the walls and ceilings were coated in mildew. It took a good amount of work to get it back into the shape it’s in now.
After The Storm
The doors were put back in place and screwed shut to secure them. The walls and ceilings were hand-cleaned. All the linens were ruined and had to be replaced. The refrigerator no longer worked, it was replaced and the original still sits in the driveway, waiting to removed with the rest of the debris once repairs begin.
In time, the office was moved to Bayhouse Villa, which is where I have been living since I came here. The villa received some serious damage from the hurricane and the owner has been fighting with his insurance to get the money to repair. So, we have been “squatting” here while waiting to begin repairs.
Today
Living here has allowed us a roof over our head, while being able to maintain the villa without too much hassle. Even though there’s still a decent amount of damage, most of it is superficial. Sure, a few windows are broken, some doors don’t open, and my shower doesn’t have hot water, but it’s structurally sound and we’re looking forward to when we can start repairs.
