.
.
I just finished applying for my DD-214. A couple hours later, java script running on my machine (somehow, with some twisting, turning, and updating as it was required to even order my DD-214), and a hundred and a quarter dollars shy, the task is as done as I can do it. My agent submitted a work order to the owners, which they can refuse in whole or part. There were some minor (and to my mind, major) issues with the electrical. I have offered a proposition to my agent, which he has tried to reject outright but instead has put on hold until we hear back from the current owners. We should be receiving something back from them by 5 pm today. Lord what a job getting into debt is.
Everything is moving forward, in a limping staggering messy fashion. And I am trying to stay on task. Actually, for the condition I am in, for what is going on around me, and for all else, I am doing well. Tucked in here in my great big shell, I am emotionally quite settled. I am more perturbed that the little secret of my failings is being exposed more than that things are problematic because of my failings. I am used to being ill, and merely take note, share that when and if it is needed, and go on my merry way. I do feel a little bad for those trying to help. I do, though, feel that they are on-board, and at least seem sympathetic. I do not second guess things anymore, like the depth or reality of what I sense. It is too much work to doubt more than what I already doubt!
No, it is fine. I am fine. The project will either work or it will not. I will be moving into my own house soon or I will be finding an apartment. That is that. It is in God's hands in any case, and He and the way He has developed do have purpose. Let it be. Let that purpose be and live through it. Trust me, you can survive anything... even death.
Be well my fellow world warriors. The world is out to kill you, and it will, but not today. Probably.
A 127 year old house has electrical issues? Say it isn't so!
ReplyDeletePerhaps the wiring dates from the original rural electrification era? And then I bet it was gran-pa and later Uncle Cooter that added to it and modified it?
I unearthed all manner of horrifying wiring debacles as I remodeled my Tucson house. And that one was only standing since 1954!
Well, it isn't even quite as bad as your Tucson house. The wiring was completely redone to get rid of 60's wiring. What was it they used, aluminum then? Anyway, it was redone in the 70's. And then the current owners redid a goodly part of the wiring recently. The problem is there are few more modern outlets. The wiring is actually pretty good, merely dated. Still...
ReplyDeleteHmmm, do you think wiring is something I could do? My worry is figuring out how to get into crawl spaces and how to deliver the wiring in other hard to reach areas. The technical aspects, though serious and perhaps somewhat complicated (or at least requiring decent amounts of reading), shouldn't be a problem. I think.
I did not hear back from the owners yesterday. I am going to call my broker and see what is going on. Who knows.
My suggestion, the one he wants to ignore, was to have them do the work (or have it done), and then add the price to the house. The problem might be that they simply do not have the funds or time to do so. But I would still like to hear back.
Did you see K stopped by! I was quite happy to see her... well, virtual see and hear from here.
I did see her appearance. Blogging from the ICU, I understand. Which is certainly worrisome.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say "few more modern outlets", what do you mean? Are the outlets the old-fashioned two-prong ungrounded sort? Or by "few" you mean not enough outlets where you want them?
Wiring up new outlets, light fixtures and whatnot is relatively simple, and the "technical" aspects should be child's play for you. There are good basic how-to manuals available at home improvement stores, named such things as "Wiring Simplified" or whatnot.
Could you give me some of the potentially major concerns that the home inspection revealed re the electric? I can give you some feedback. Remember too, that the inspector is deliberately somewhat alarmist in his report, so as to cover his hiney. If the house was rewired in the '70's and if the owners did a reasonably professional job on their work, the problems are likely not going to be "major hazard" class problems.
I am surprised that your agent would want to dismiss your request. It is not at all uncommon to have work done prior to closing, and rather than the owner paying out of his pocket, it should be possible to find a contractor who is willing to wait to be paid out of the closing proceeds. When I sold my rental house across the street, the cost of the roof replacement was subtracted from my proceeds at closing and paid to the roofer. There is always a risk that the sale falls through and the seller ends up on the hook for the repair costs.
Ah, mostly the lack of 3-plug outlets, and the security that goes with that. Though there was a note about poorly placed wiring in the attic. It sounds like they are going to fix these things. And again, from what you are saying, perhaps these aren't that much of an issue. As I can repair and update as might be needed.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am not sure why my agent would eschew my suggestion either. It is not as if this would be a major expense. An electrical job shouldn't cost more than a couple thousand dollars (max), and I would expect a complete rewiring for that. Well, to my mind anyway.
Other than that, the house is sound. Niggling little things, beside this, were few and minor. For it's age, it is incredible.
It has, by the way, only been lived in by one family until the 1970's (passed down of course), and then two other parties (including the current owners). The family of those who lived there still stop by from time to time, the current owners have said, and ask to look the place over. The current owners have learned interesting bits about the home and the past residents through the visits. I know I would welcome such visitors!
Fixing the grounded outlet problem is a reasonable do-it-yourself project. You do not need to run new wiring back to the circuit breaker. All you need to do is run a ground wire from the outlet box to any properly grounded conductor. Then you can replace the two-prong outlet with three prong.
ReplyDeleteCold water pipes that have an acceptable ground contact (either buried somewhere for at least ten feet, or bonded to another properly grounded conductor such as the house grounding electrode) are a popular choice for grounding. If you can get a wire through the wall (or ceiling or floor, or even through a surface-mount conduit) from a pipe to the outlet, you're set. If you have a grounded outlet within reach of an ungrounded outlet, you can do the same--just tie the ground wire to the grounding wire in the grounded outlet box (green insulation or bare wire). Worst case you could drive a new grounding electrode outside the house and run a new grounding electrode conductor through the wall to the outlet. (For the specifics of what is acceptable in this case, you'd do well to consult an electrician who knows the code, even if you don't employ him to do the work--I am not sure myself the materials and methods that would be acceptable. I *think* you can just run a bare copper wire from the grounding electrode up the wall to a simple 1/2" conduit 90 degree box and then through the wall via a short conduit piece into the box to be grounded...then again if you are still pointing toward becoming an EE, it might be interesting reading for you to purchase a copy of the current National Electric Code, together with a book *interpreting* the NEC for practical applications. It *is* possible for an untrained layman of engineer-level intelligence to slog through it and decipher the requirements for a particular application.)
Of course if you can get this done for you professionally as part of the purchase price, all the better.
In the big picture, if this is the worst problem encountered, I'd consider it small potatoes and not worry much about it if they won't cooperate. Realize a lot of appliances are only two prong anyway, and if you encounter a situation where you really need a grounded outlet (such as at a computer), you can address the need to run a ground wire at that time.