Foolish

We bought our home in “as is” condition.  Multiple inspections turned up no major issues; the roof, eaves, foundation and sewer are in solid condition.

Going in, we knew there would be issues, and lots of work, but nothing seemed beyond what we could tackle.

So far, that premise has been right and we remain on track.  What has been our surprise is the extent of work undoing what the previous tenant had done.

It’s an odd tale.  He made major changes to the house.  New walls, remodeled the kitchen, rewired the entire house.  He did it all himself.  Nothing was done to code.  No permits were taken out.  Nothing was done, in fact, with either the permission or knowledge of the owner.

And so the “as is,” it seems, to a large degree is the condition in which the tenant left the house.  Exhibit A would be the electric panel.  A hairshirt of wires, exposed and overloading circuits.  The cover tossed aside.  The barn was wired – more than 20 lights and outlets, and a subpanel – all off one outlet from the main house.  The kitchen sink drain is unsupported and sags, forcing water to pool rather than drain out.  The walls were painted only to shoulder height.  That one is cosmetic, but a good example of work stopped only 70% of the way

A do-it-yourself attitude is wonderful, but unchecked, it can become a safety hazard.  The building code is not an intrusion but common sense.