Next Door

[highfigh]

I'm not in disagreement with the fence, but its unfortunate to people who do routine maintenance around their house. Say you have a new neighbor move in and put up a fence, all well and good. Go on 4 yrs down the road when half the paint is stripped and missing half the bolsters. Now a 'simple' fence is an eyesore that you have no control over. Of course I'm not saying you would let yours end up like that lol.

We've all seen run down swingsets and sheds, and on those I'd prefer an HOA to protect values. Decor is sketchy, how many garden gnomes is too many? Bob can 3 bc it looks ok but sue gets only 1 bc her decorating ability blows? Personal taste on what looks good is up to the individual, maybe best to keep it inside?

Here, the requirement is for the good side to be facing the neighbors, so condition needs to be maintained. On the fence owner's side, whatever. An adjoining neighbor has more impact WRT complaints and if the condition slips too much, the city will send a letter before it's too bad. There are a few lawns that look bad, but generally, people keep up with maintenance pretty well unless weather or lack of time prevent finishing something.

 

[highfigh]

Same here. For certain things it makes sense, but they're mainly trying to keep people from doing shoddy work. Nothing like buying a hose that a DIYer owned that didn't know what they were doing. My brother-in-law is a plumber. He's told me enough stories about shoddy work that I'll just let him do everything.

I understand keeping people safe- I have no problem with that, but for simple work, I don't think an electrician is necessary- it makes a $5 light switch into a $100 light switch. I'm working on a house and after the homeowner repeatedly asked when I would be able to hang the TV, I bought a receptacle and installed it since the electrician hadn't called back in a week to tell me when they could finish that work. Yesterday, I asked if he (electrician) was OK with me doing it and he told me he was glad I did- I wouldn't expect them to make a trip just for that, anyway.

WRT plumbing, you're probably not going to see me replace a soil pipe.

 

[herbu]

My wife is encouraging me to get on our BoD, because all of the neighbors complain about how ineffective it is, and she thinks I'm just the sort of asshole to help fix it.

Hey Irv, I bet your wife is right.

 

[panteragstk]

I understand keeping people safe- I have no problem with that, but for simple work, I don't think an electrician is necessary- it makes a $5 light switch into a $100 light switch. I'm working on a house and after the homeowner repeatedly asked when I would be able to hang the TV, I bought a receptacle and installed it since the electrician hadn't called back in a week to tell me when they could finish that work. Yesterday, I asked if he (electrician) was OK with me doing it and he told me he was glad I did- I wouldn't expect them to make a trip just for that, anyway.

WRT plumbing, you're probably not going to see me replace a soil pipe.

Totally agree, but in my state (or county I guess) if someone moves an outlet and something happens, home owners insurance won't cover it.

Installing light switches is apparently OK (I'll have to look to make sure) as well as ceiling fans and the like. I've done both of those myself for years, but I won't move outlets unless I have a safe way to do it that is good with code.

 

[highfigh]

Totally agree, but in my state (or county I guess) if someone moves an outlet and something happens, home owners insurance won't cover it.

Installing light switches is apparently OK (I'll have to look to make sure) as well as ceiling fans and the like. I've done both of those myself for years, but I won't move outlets unless I have a safe way to do it that is good with code.

I added outlets and lights in the garage, did it to code and replaced some ugly wiring and conduit in the basement. When the inspector said the pipe bending looked really good, I had the presence of mind to not thank him for the compliment.

 

[KEW]

I added outlets and lights in the garage, did it to code and replaced some ugly wiring and conduit in the basement. When the inspector said the pipe bending looked really good, I had the presence of mind to not thank him for the compliment.

How would a HOA or anyone even know you did this work?
I added a subpanel and 220 circuit for my lathe in my basement garage and no one is the wiser (except me - I learned a bit using my trusty Black & Decker "Home Wiring" book).

 

[panteragstk]

How would a HOA or anyone even know you did this work?
I added a subpanel and 220 circuit for my lathe in my basement garage and no one is the wiser (except me - I learned a bit using my trusty Black & Decker "Home Wiring" book).

It's a risk. If code enforcement (not HOA) happen to drive by when you're doing the work, well then they'll probably stop and ask if they see you. If not, no worries.

I know that when my cheap douche of a landlord had my water heaters replaced the dude asked me to leave my truck in the driveway because they didn't have permits. I told him that wasn't my problem and left.

 

[KEW]

It's a risk. If code enforcement (not HOA) happen to drive by when you're doing the work, well then they'll probably stop and ask if they see you. If not, no worries.

I know that when my cheap douche of a landlord had my water heaters replaced the dude asked me to leave my truck in the driveway because they didn't have permits. I told him that wasn't my problem and left.

Okay, my work was in a basement garage and there was absolutely no indication of my "nefarious" activities from the road - I always keep the garage doors closed to keep the basement cool in!
I get the idea behind this, I have moved into places that had dangerous situations where people wired things the way they thought it worked but did not have it right (as in turning the wall switch off did not completely isolate the ceiling box from power).

 

[Irvrobinson]

Okay, my work was in a basement garage and there was absolutely no indication of my "nefarious" activities from the road - I always keep the garage doors closed to keep the basement cool in!
I get the idea behind this, I have moved into places that had dangerous situations where people wired things the way they thought it worked but did not have it right (as in turning the wall switch off did not completely isolate the ceiling box from power).

The only two risks you have, IMO Kurt, is if you sell your home and the buyer has it inspected by a certified professional, or if your modifications cause damage and an insurance company gets involved. I've heard of a few cases where the home inspectors find that modifications do not have the appropriate government inspection tags or stickers on them, and then the modifications are called out as not meeting code in the inspection report. If a mortgage company is involved on the buying side they may insist that the modifications be inspected and potentially brought up to current building codes before they'll fund the mortgage.

 

[panteragstk]

The only two risks you have, IMO Kurt, is if you sell your home and the buyer has it inspected by a certified professional, or if your modifications cause damage and an insurance company gets involved. I've heard of a few cases where the home inspectors find that modifications do not have the appropriate government inspection tags or stickers on them, and then the modifications are called out as not meeting code in the inspection report. If a mortgage company is involved on the buying side they may insist that the modifications be inspected and potentially brought up to current building codes before they'll fund the mortgage.

Exactly. My parents and grandparents both added on/enclosed outdoor spaces on their houses and I told them both that when it comes time to sell, they may get an inspector to pull permits. If they aren't there, they'll have to deal with the consequences. My dad got permits, my grandfather didn't. Work was all done correctly, but it goes back to what you said. Doesn't matter if the inspector is thorough enough.

 

[KEW]

The only two risks you have, IMO Kurt, is if you sell your home and the buyer has it inspected by a certified professional, or if your modifications cause damage and an insurance company gets involved. I've heard of a few cases where the home inspectors find that modifications do not have the appropriate government inspection tags or stickers on them, and then the modifications are called out as not meeting code in the inspection report. If a mortgage company is involved on the buying side they may insist that the modifications be inspected and potentially brought up to current building codes before they'll fund the mortgage.

Wow!
House sold 5 years ago without issue, so apparently GA is comparatively slack on these counts!
Kind of sad that I am not supposed to (legally) make modifications to my own home myself. However, I guess it is a sign of the times in that home are no longer life-long possessions!
Generally a home inspector (with modest knowledge of electrical) will check out the home before the sale to make sure it is of sound construction. They would check the outlets and such using one of these, and call it good if everything passed:

However, I just checked the panel for my current home (about 12 years old) and there are no certification stickers or anything like that!
Of course there is some horribly shoddy workmanship in many of the homes around here. If you look at home construction rates vs budget for Building Inspectors over the last 6 decades, it is apparent that the building inspectors are no longer able to perform proper inspections.

 

[panteragstk]

Wow!
House sold 5 years ago without issue, so apparently GA is comparatively slack on these counts!
Kind of sad that I am not supposed to (legally) make modifications to my own home myself. However, I guess it is a sign of the times in that home are no longer life-long possessions!
Generally a home inspector (with modest knowledge of electrical) will check out the home before the sale to make sure it is of sound construction. They would check the outlets and such using one of these, and call it good if everything passed:

However, I just checked the panel for my current home (about 12 years old) and there are no certification stickers or anything like that!
Of course there is some horribly shoddy workmanship in many of the homes around here. If you look at home construction rates vs budget for Building Inspectors over the last 6 decades, it is apparent that the building inspectors are no longer able to perform proper inspections.

That's the thing though. If you don't get a permit when one is required (regardless of whether or not you do the work properly) it's technically not legal. It all depends on your state/county/city though. The laws are all different.

@Pogre probably knows a lot more about this and could shed some light on how things work.

 

[highfigh]

How would a HOA or anyone even know you did this work?
I added a subpanel and 220 circuit for my lathe in my basement garage and no one is the wiser (except me - I learned a bit using my trusty Black & Decker "Home Wiring" book).

Now that the inspector has retired and the state no longer requires so much inspection, I guess it's up to them to read this thread and figure out who I am.

I added the 220V outlets for my table saw and welder in the garage- they're on the same circuit, but the chance of using both at the same time is nil and the only problem if they were is a popped breaker. One thing that helps is having worked for an integration company that hired a full-time electrician and that made it possible for us to do high voltage work, which I did on a few jobs-it helped WRT layout of room wiring, switching and feeds.

 

[highfigh]

Wow!
House sold 5 years ago without issue, so apparently GA is comparatively slack on these counts!
Kind of sad that I am not supposed to (legally) make modifications to my own home myself. However, I guess it is a sign of the times in that home are no longer life-long possessions!
Generally a home inspector (with modest knowledge of electrical) will check out the home before the sale to make sure it is of sound construction. They would check the outlets and such using one of these, and call it good if everything passed:

Another version of this tester has a button for checking CFGI operation.FYI- a couple of things that are now required are: Child proof outlets on all new electrical circuits and Arc-Fault protection. The former is good, although I have never heard of a kid who actually had the hand strength to bend the tines of a fork so it could contact the hot in an outlet and Arc-Fault can trip just from motorized devices, like vacuum cleaners. They're also very expensive.

 

[Swerd]

Generally a home inspector (with modest knowledge of electrical) will check out the home before the sale to make sure it is of sound construction.

That's similar to the experience I've had with 2 different home inspectors, in 1984, buying my first house (built in 1962) and again in 1993 for my present house, which was new construction. Both times, they were recommended by the real estate agents, but they weren't worth much at all. In 1984, I had a lot of questions about the heat & air conditioning systems, but the home inspector told me he didn't inspect stuff like that. He did tell me the gas furnace & AC were 10 years old and might need to be replaced.

So, I called in a local HVAC guy to do a service check. I told him I was a prospective buyer and this would be my first home. He was glad to walk me through the whole system, explaining what would need maintenance and what wouldn't, and what I could expect from the system. He told me there was nothing at all wrong or aged, and that I could expect them to last another 10-15 years. He did suggest I might want to replace the old original thermostat with one of the modern programmable thermostats once their price came down. And he also identified which upstairs bedroom would be the coldest in the winter and warmest in the summer. He said that I would benefit in summer weather if I added more inlet vents under the eaves to the crawl space attic, and an 18" attic fan. Eventually I did all that, and his advice proved to be good. Too bad most home inspectors seem to be riding on the economic coat tails of real estate sales.

 

[highfigh]

I'm pretty sure I went blind or stupid when I looked at the house I bought- when I decided to do some work later, I found things that never made an impression on me. I must have chalked them up to 'condition issues that can be fixed easily'. One thing I did soon after moving in and after seeing the first gas & electric bill is spread the cellulose insulation more evenly, add more and put 10" fiberglass over everything- at the time, the electric and gas companies were separate and later merged- they were known for low rates-now, not so much. 23 years later, my bill for both isn't much over $125/month at most and I don't keep the temperature below 70 degrees in Winter. I have changed to LED lighting except for two lights and with the newer windows, sealed leaks and added insulation, it's not bad.