Empty Houses

[Dan40]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Yup, THAT rings a bell! The house I bought here was "almost finished" with an extensive remodel. When I finally took possession (man did that take forever) I found the "worker bee's" radio, complete with paint stains in a closet. Then I found the 6 ft level in a back room. MANY electrical boxes, covers, screws, etc. in various drawers around the house. Half filled buckets of paint and painting supplies, newly installed cabinets with the handle knobs INSIDE the drawer, not mounted. Various tools, screw driver, wood chisel. ALL the interior doors were still in a storage shed out back, new paint on them. Construction debris all around the outside of the house (mostly clean inside). It was weird, like the construction guys left for lunch and never came back???

I made sure to get it in writing that any CONSTRUCTION LOANS or LIENS would be covered, that was like pulling teeth. I'm slowly finishing the remodel.

Sounds just like here during hurricane reconstruction. Junk [new junk] left everywhere. I tossed 6 partially used, dried up buckets of the same color paint. We lived in a 8X27 foot camper in the yard for 10 months while the house was rebuilt.. The paint crew would show up about 10 to 10:30AM Take at least 30 minutes to set up, Break for a long lunch at about 11:45 and knock off for the day around 3. One crewmember, not a boss, never did any work at all. He wandered up and down the street talking on his cell, ALL DAY. The contractor asked for more money. I laughed at him. 3 weeks to paint what should have been done in 2-3 days.

I went over the yard with a big magnet as sometimes I'll pull a car into the yard. I filled 2 coffee cans with bent nails. But with thousands and thousands of homes needing repaired all at once, professionals were in short supply.