The house next door...or how to NOT build a house

**jdurand** · May 18, 2020, 04:54 PM

Oh yes, our fireplace during first test.

and our front wall in progress

**Frank S** · May 19, 2020, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by jdurand

I talked to the contractor for The Tar Pit, they're having trouble getting things. Stuff that was ordered and a deposit paid is now "somewhere between Spain and here, may not have been shipped yet". He said this year is definitely the best for us to sell, but for him looking ahead next year the moratorium on foreclosures will end and he's not sure he will be able to sell anything then.

I think as things start to open up there are going to be a lot of people who have been renting apartments in high rise building will be looking for single family dwellings for a short window it is going to be a sellers market and all you might have to do is once a house in put on the market get a bidders war started between 2 or 3 interested buyers. So if there are any repairs you know that should be done and some that you think might need to be done now would be the time to get them done as soon as you can get the contractors lined up the quicker and the better shape the house is put in the better your chances of having it bid up to as much as 30 or possibly 40% over appraised

**jdurand** · May 21, 2020, 11:17 AM

About 07:00 I let the chickens out and suddenly heard water running from The Tar Pit. I looked over and a worker had just drilled a hole in the rain gutter to let the water out. I looked down the length of the house, sure enough there are no downspouts (roof drain) anywhere. Who installs rain gutters with no drain holes?

**Frank S** · May 21, 2020, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by jdurand

About 07:00 I let the chickens out and suddenly heard water running from The Tar Pit. I looked over and a worker had just drilled a hole in the rain gutter to let the water out. I looked down the length of the house, sure enough there are no downspouts (roof drain) anywhere. Who installs rain gutters with no drain holes?

Hard to find good help these days

**PDXsparky** · May 23, 2020, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by Frank S

Hard to find good help these days

Even medium help can be hard to find.

**Toolmaker51** · May 24, 2020, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by jdurand

About 07:00 I let the chickens out and suddenly heard water running from The Tar Pit. I looked over and a worker had just drilled a hole in the rain gutter to let the water out. I looked down the length of the house, sure enough there are no downspouts (roof drain) anywhere. Who installs rain gutters with no drain holes?

Very simple. This age of specialization divides contractors into ever smaller classifications "Oh, you also wanted downspouts?".
Or crew supervisor claims, "In this multi-step process, we gutter first. Our scientific quality test verifies no leaks".
He also might work 'our exclusive technology' into the phrase.

**jdurand** · May 30, 2020, 10:23 PM

They've been slowly working on The Tar Pit, my wife pointed out today they're installing downlights under the eve, the type mounted above a ceiling. I commented I'll bet they're LED and that soffit area is going to get awfully hot in summer. I'd mount the lights below the soffit where they'd be cooler.

In other news...

Big milestone on our new house, we passed the major inspection and got our "technical passport". In about a week we'll get a certificate of occupancy. In Russia they issue this when the house passes minimum requirements for habitation...which we just did. MANY people move in at this point and finish their house later. We won't be there for a while yet, still have to finish cleaning here and sell this place, but it's getting closer.

Another result of this is the house outline just appeared on the public land map, like a plat book. The street address is now officially recognized.

One other detail is this gives us a valid legal reason to enter the country, even during closed border times. We are legally very close to "Returning Russians".

Pictures as always on our server with some new cross-links tying the different places we talk about the move together.

https://durandinterstellar.com/photos/Our_New_Home/

**IntheGroove** · May 30, 2020, 10:47 PM

I will miss you as a resident of California, and I hope you can take your quadcopter with you, but you will always be with us as a grand member of Homemadetools...

**jdurand** · May 30, 2020, 11:52 PM

I plan to take it with us, how else will I inspect our roof. It's WAY up there.

**jdurand** · Jun 2, 2020, 06:30 PM

Quick update on the new house...

We received the official stamped "certificate of ownership" which means:

1. We own the house free and clear in addition to the land;
2. It can now be occupied at any time;
3. By order of the governor of our region, anyone who has documentation that he owns a residence in the region is allowed in at the border provided you self-isolate at your residence in the region.

So, pass go, collect $200.

Cook stove arrived. Combination microwave/convection/grill oven on order. Refrigerator goes on order in the next day or so.

Now "all" we have to do is finish cleaning up here and sell the house. The movers have to pack everything because they take an inventory for customs. By the time the ship gets there everything should already be cleared.