Here is a picture of our roof in 2005, before the construction began. From start to finish, adding the second floor took about a 1.5 years. The basic structure was finished in about eight months, and then a few months later we built out the kitchen, the bathroom, and finished the final details. We had a terrific local contractor, and the project was a great experience. I learned a lot about island construction, my spanish improved immensely, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all of the tradesmen.