TOPIC: There Should Be A Sign: Don't Cook Here, Please!

A recent inspection started out on a high note.  The Realtor met me early and showed me extensive advertising for this house, which advertising extolled it as "completely remodeled.  Must see the inside!!"

I asked if there were any permits provided by the seller or selling agent.  "Oh, I don't know...," she said.

The kitchen just felt wrong.  I don't like that feeling.  So, first thing, I pulled the stove away from the wall of the  "remodeled" kitchen.  This view would be one indication why there are no permits to reflect professional work.

The picture is taken while peeking over the top of the range.  Upper left/center is the gas connection.  The shut-off valve, which must have pre-existed this installation, is visible on the top, and inaccessible.  The rest of the connection is just as frightfully incorrect!

What you cannot see is the bottom of this unprotected, flexible gas tubing.  It was maybe 6' long and actually bent, curled up and stuck under the range!

There was no anti-tip device either!  Well surprise, surprise, surprise!

This was a new range and has an electric spark to ignite the flames.  This necessitates a proper electrical connection, preferably to a dedicated receptacle.  The "remodeling professional" provided one!  The range was plugged into an extension cord, visible center/right.  That cord goes up the wall from there.  It passes through a hole in the bathroom wall and its other end was hard wired into the light fixture connection for that bathroom.  All that wiring is ungrounded and was laying on the top of the bathroom light fixture, right beside the hot lights.  Had the drywall been replaced I may never have looked there to find this connection!

Thus begAnneth a very, very, very long inspection...

My recommendation: if you are going to show your clients homes advertised as "remodeled," before you even take them by to see it, call and ask the other Realtor if he/she can show you the permits for the work.  If the answer is no, don't even bother to show it!  And if there are permits, make sure they were not issued South of the Border...

Hey Jay
Nothing wrong with that. They just were so proud of their workmanship they wanted to share with world.

Over here where I live there are so many REO's that the cities are going in with code enforcement and going over each home if they find work done with out a permit they board the home up. Then it is up to the Lien holder or new buyer to have it inspected, pay inspection fees and bring it up to code and pay any fines most of the time the buyer does not find out till it is to late..

Wow, Gerry, they did now!
Louis - it may come to that here too.  There is so much bad work in so many homes, the counties may come around to doing that.

There tax rolls have dropped there hurting for funds so they are trying to make it up any way they can..

Louie
Welcome to the Sr's club. Now well have to get our 15% discount cards. LOL