It was a long time coming, trust me. When we bought our house, 5 & a half years ago, the balcony deck off the master bedroom was in obvious need of serious repairs, even back then. Honestly, it's no small miracle that the rotting mess didn't come down on its own accord by now. So, we bit the bullet and decided two things: Tear down the balcony deck to make way for a new one and rip out the hot tub encased in 1/2 of the lower deck.
The new deck was just completed today and the hot tub was "sold" to a friend and his small family just down the road.
I just want to say how pleased I am with the work done and the deck upgrade. And although I do wish I could take credit for it (sorry Jivi, you're going to be disappointed in me), I had neither the time, the tools nor, quite frankly, the skills to pull it off in the time the 3 contractors did; 2 & a half days was all it took them. The gap left by the excised hot tub was "patched over" with floor decking and the new master bedroom deck was built to almost double the size of the old one! It's awesome. Very simple, sturdy and toddler-friendly. Can't wait to sit out there (once we get some outdoor deck furniture!) in the early morning with a cup of tea and a book...