Non-permitted work: NOT changing BR/BA/visible square footage

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by SusieClue

Here's my translation:


I wouldn't touch it, cash or no cash

Well now, this isn't about you, is it.

[modjewels]

So in case anyone was at all interested: after speaking with a real estate lawyer, two insurance agents, and an inspector with knowledge of county procedures, we decided to go ahead and purchase the house.

I have referrals to two inspection companies:

1. Chris Patek Inspections - One-man operation.

2. Direct Home Inspections - A company, but it looks like the owner does all the inspections and brings subs with him for the more specific stuff (pool, termite, etc.).

Does anyone have any comments on these folks, good or bad? If you prefer to send comments via PM that's good too.

If anyone has any other inspectors or inspection companies they'd like to recommend, I'm all ears!

Also, I am keenly interested in finding an excellent appraiser and would really welcome your recommendations. In most cases, when people are getting a mortgage they are concerns about an appraiser appraising at a high enough value for the bank. I have the opposite issue. I am paying cash and I want to be sure I am not overpaying. So, I don't want an appraiser who will try to hit a pre-determined number...I want someone who will just be as objective as possible about the value, not trying to unnecessarily pad OR devalue their estimate.

I don't know if you are legally allowed to do so, but if you are, sunshinerules and bbbronston, I'd love to hear from you for referrals, either on the thread or via PM.

Thanks so much!

[Sunshine Rules]

In general, I suggest that home buyers look into home inspectors that are members of ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors), NACHI (National Association of Certified Home Inspectors) or FABI (FL Association of Building Inspectors) as they have a higher standard of education and credentials than the state of FL requires for licensing. Also check references if possible.

[d4g4m]

Usually if the house has a truss roofing system, the only load bearing walls are the two inner garage walls. If you saw your house under construction, except for the garage walls, there were no walls holding up anything. Every wall in the house can be removed with no problems.
With a kitchen or bath re-mod, if all you do is replace cabinets using existing plumbing and electric, no permit is needed. You may need an additional electric line if you add a microwave [in an older house]

[modjewels]

Sunshine Rules - Good point. I had only been considering NACHI/ASHI and didn't think about FABI. Thanks!

Direct Inspections is booked too far out. Anyone want to give a recommendation for an inspector? Now I'm looking at Chris Patek and Kai Strom of Florida Home Inspectors.

Still not sure how to choose an appraiser. There's very little in reviews on the web. Anyone?

[loves2read]

We redid our master bath about 6 mo ago...
Had to pull permits because we closed drain for shower we were taking out and moved drain for larger shower going in...also had to pull electrical permit...
Instead of having the qualified/licensed/bonded subs to pull their permits, the country (Sarasota) required us to get a general contractor to pull a "master" permit --additional costs for that permit and fee to the GC who basically only did that---pulled permits---he certainly didn't oversee work or sweat any of the problems that cropped up...mainly because we were not paying the increased % that using a true GC requires...

We bought this house after the sellers had the original kitchen gutted and new one installed...Roberts Brothers did the work and seems like it was well done...but there was an issue when we had the house inspected prior to closing...issue with the new electrical box that was added (which had to have passed inspection at that time because the work was all permitted)---we were told unless we had it "brought up to code" we couldn't get insurance.
So we had to have electrician come in at last minute and make a minor change...take photos...send to the inspector who then amended his report before sending to insurance people. The electrician said there really was no issue--that the wiring was legal...
He thought it was basically scam by the inspector being hyper...

Getting ready to redo guest bathroom--not moving any plumbing or electrical so not getting any permits...having same electrician and plumber and tile guy as before...know their work will be to code...
After that is done, we will likely get an HVAC company to come in, pull permit, and vent the two exhaust fans properly...
But I am not being hijacked by Sarasota county to get a GC for something as minor as this.

[loves2read]

Originally Posted by d4g4m

Usually if the house has a truss roofing system, the only load bearing walls are the two inner garage walls. If you saw your house under construction, except for the garage walls, there were no walls holding up anything. Every wall in the house can be removed with no problems.
With a kitchen or bath re-mod, if all you do is replace cabinets using existing plumbing and electric, no permit is needed. You may need an additional electric line if you add a microwave [in an older house]

Our daughter and SIL are trying to get estimates for kitchen remodel on their house, built basically same time as ours, in same neighborhood...their kitchen is in middle of house (so stick framed). So they have had a GC contractor out who has smaller remodel company in Venice, one of the Roberts brothers came out ( same company who did the kitchen in our house), and two guys who work for a GC remodelers with company in Nokomis--one was the cabinet person and the other the on-site forman...
Neither of the 3 companies can agree on which walls are load bearing--and while the first two guys wouldn't go in the attic (which I thought was negative strike against them getting the job) the other two did -- and none of them can say with any certainty which of the walls they would like to take down are load bearing...

All suggested letting them make holes in the walls to "see what is there"...
For what it is worth--our house had a galley kitchen with sink on exterior/lanai wall and an interior (stick framed wall). During the demo/rebuild, it was discovered that the interior wall was load bearing and a support beam had to be added because that wall became an island...no upper cabinets...just a vent hood dropped from the ceiling...to their credit (according to the homeowners doing remodel) Roberts Brothers bore the increased cost of adding that support beam because they failed to judge the project accurately...but you can't assume that all interior walls are not load-bearing...
It all depends on how the house is framed and the roof truss design...

Needless to say our daughter and SIL won't be signing any contracts until there is proof of which kitchen walls are load-bearing...