New home demolished in New York over garage, pool placement

The error will add about six weeks to the project and cost up to $150,000

A U.S. couple decided to tear down their multimillion-dollar house that was half completed in the middle of construction and start over.

When Eric and Margaret Friedberg returned from vacation and went to see their new home next to the Ocean in ritzy Southampton Village on Long Island, they noticed something was wrong.

ABC is reporting they didn't like the spot of the garage and the New York Post is reporting it was a pool location issue. Either way, the partially-constructed new build is now a hole in the ground again.

"There was no backyard and no pool," said a worker to the New York Post. "The framing for the first floor was completed, and they had started the framing for the second floor and - oops - they found out about the mistake and had to take it all down."

So for the second time since buying the $2.5 million property, the Friedbergs used a wrecking ball to level a house. When they purchased the lot it came with a 1,674-square-foot house, but they destroyed that to make room for the new one.

The Friedbergs are both former federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York's Eastern District.

Mr. Friedberg's firm, Stroz Friedberg, was responsible for monitoring former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn while he was under house arrest in New York City.

So far it appears the two are not enjoying the publicity they have gained from their domicile do-over.

"Thank you for your profound interest on where my garage on my tiny family lot should go," said Mrs. Friedberg to ABC. "I'm so glad this is more important than the presidential election."

"It's not a fancy block in Southampton," she continued. "My home in Winchester is twice the size."

The house, when complete, will cost about $2 million and include four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms over 3,869 square feet plus a 544-square-foot pool. It'll be less than a mile from the beach and it apparently sounds like the ocean is right in your backyard.

However, even at this grand size, it'll be one of the smaller homes on the block. The Post reports nearby there is a 5,400-square-foot six bedroom abode on the market for $5.7 million.