Electrician Is Hired To Guide An Inspector Through A House Avoiding Problematic Places, Does The Complete Opposite
The biggest advantages that people look forward to most when they start working independently are flexible working hours and being your own boss. Even though it can bring a lot of financial instability and uncertainty about the future, the prospect of controlling how you work is still very alluring.
It seems that it paid off for Reddit user big-heck-nah, who was able to diplomatically avoid a job he didn’t want because of the customer and later even got to punish him for being a dishonest home renovator.
More info: Reddit
Electrician didn’t allow a dishonest developer to pass inspection when he was hired to hide flaws from the inspector
Image credits: james michael thomas (not the actual photo)
The Original Poster (OP) is an electrician who works independently and years ago, he got a call from a customer he’d never worked with before. Because the OP didn’t remember his name, he called him Todd in this story and revealed that he flipped homes in lower income neighborhoods for a living.
Todd was late for their first meeting and it was already a red flag, but when the two of them entered the house, they realized it was all soaked because it didn’t withstand the heavy storm that had just recently passed. Todd started yelling at his partner and brother over the phone and this was when the electrician decided that he didn’t want to work on this project.
The OP was called to assess how much it would cost to rewire the whole house
Image credits: big-heck-nah
Because the purpose of this meeting was to assess how much the rewiring of the house would cost, the electrician chose to tell the customer such a high price that he wouldn’t want to accept because the OP really didn’t want to work with a man with a short temper.
Even though they didn’t make a deal that day, Todd called the OP later that year and wanted him to meet the city electrical inspector for him. The electrician agreed and showed up at the house 20 minutes earlier than the inspector to take a look at the house.
First of all, the customer was late, and after he found out nobody had fixed the roof, he threw a fit that the OP had to listen to
Image credits: big-heck-nah
The previous electrician didn’t do a great job and the OP saw all of their mistakes that they didn’t intend to hide from the inspector even though he knew he was hired to guide the inspector away from those issues.
The OP’s honesty earned him the inspector’s trust and later, when he forgot to do something, the inspector knew that the electrician would fix it and wouldn’t revisit the same place.
It made him not to want to work with the client, so he told him a price that surely would help him not be hired
Image credits: Matthew Keefe (not the actual photo)
Image credits: big-heck-nah
The example of Todd shows that developers don’t really care if the house they flipped is up to standard or not. It’s a good place for investors to put money into because in those lower income neighborhoods, the houses cost less, the labor cost is lower, and they can get a high profit even just for cosmetic touch-ups.
But Storeys, the page where you go for real estate news, warns buyers of these houses that, even though they are more affordable, can have some major flaws like “water leaks in the foundation and roof, or deficiencies in wiring and plumbing.”
This was exactly the case which the OP experienced firsthand and thankfully, he didn’t allow such a house to be approved by inspection before it was properly fixed.
The two went their separate ways, but the client called the OP later the same year asking him to participate in an inspection
Image credits: big-heck-nah
The investors want to get their money back as soon as possible and the renovations may be finished in a hurry, trying to save money where possible. Storeys says that “Less durable floors and countertops, for instance, will scratch and chip more easily. They’ll need to be repaired or replaced faster, especially if you’ve got kids or pets. The same goes for kitchen and bathroom appliances like the fridge, dishwasher and toilet.”
The OP realized that he was called to help the customer pass the inspection by concealing problems, but his work ethics didn’t allow it
Image credits: big-heck-nah
Sometimes you may not know that you are buying a flipped house and even if it’s a newly built house, Storey advises people to remember that the devil is in the details and you should notice them while reviewing properties.
A house is a big purchase, so look at the fine details, look at what you can’t see from the surface, ask for professional advice and do some research about the constructors or developers. Then decide which flaws you are ready to live with because even the best houses have some.
While there is a risk when buying a flipped house, they are usually decently priced because the investors want to sell them quickly. Buying a flipped house is also beneficial because they are already supplied with various appliances, the walls are painted and all the plumbing and wiring is done.
Not only did the OP save some house buyers from a poorly renovated house, but earned the trust of the inspector
Image credits: big-heck-nah
Image credits: Rebecca Siegel (not the actual photo)
It doesn’t always mean that expensive things are of better quality, but paying more often proves to be worth it. Especially when you pay for knowledge and skills. Todd wanted to save some money by finding an electrician who asked for less, but later had to refix the mistakes the other specialist left, which cost money anyway.
What did you think of the story? Have you ever heard of house flipping and did you know that it’s riskier to buy a flipped house than a newly built one? Do you have any similar experiences to big-heck-nah’s? Let us know in the comments!
Redditors weren’t too surprised about the situation and were glad that there are still people who care about quality
Husband is an electrician. Some regular customers of ours had their house renovated so lots of building works. They used the builder's own electrician instead of us as 'seemed easier'. It happens, what can you do??? Yet got a phone call as our customer got an electric shock off the light switch that WE didn't fit. Their builders had fitted metal light fittings but not earthed them. The builder's electrician came out with a lot of excuses, but it boils down to 'didn't do the job properly'. If you have a regular electrician that you know and rate and you get building works done, you do NOT have to use their electrician. If you have a good tradesman, stick to them and tell the builder they can lump it.
They probably paid the guy who fixed the roof in ceramic tiles too.
Maybe they paid him in roof tiles, didn't leave enough for the property and leak ensued
Load More Replies...Kudos to this Electrician. It's nice to know there is still some honest people out there.
The person writing the article (um, aka book report of a blog) did that, not the actual OP (aka the blogger).
Load More Replies...Why not straight up telling the client you don´t wanna do the job? Why name a inflated price he is bound to reject?
You name the price you'd be willing to do it for. Your normal price wouldn't be worth putting up with them, but maybe 250% of normal is enough to make it worth your while.
Load More Replies...I'm 4+ years into a reno on a 1920 bungalow which includes a total rewire. Inspector (city)has been great. We of course have gone beyond code with everything. At least 1 gauge heavier on all wiring, every room on separate breakers, most on 2 and lights on yet another, per room. I tell you this because we're NOT electricians but like to "do it right" the first time. Now comes my house (county), built in '93. I was there for most of the build and did some of it myself. Certified, licensed electrician did that part of it. When we renovated the kitchen 20 years later, boom, hidden junction point. Last year when I replaced light/fan in shower (low enough to touch standing in shower - allowed by code as long as it's approved for wet location AND wired to GFIC circuit. The electrician never hooked up the ground. I learned right then that inspectors trust licensed people far too much. So far the only thing the inspector has told us to do is but some nail guards where the plumbers failed to.
Dear Jurgita, you wrote, "Have you ever heard of house flipping and did you know that it’s riskier to buy a flipped house than a newly built one?" I think there are few who have not heard the term house flipping as it has been a thing since at least the 1980s. I must say that your statement it is riskier to buy a flipped house than a new built one is completely incorrect. I would tell any homebuyer of any house to do some homework before buying. Our first house was a new build and it was a pain. Make sure you know local and state rules and regs for things like foundations, and make sure you have a detailed copy of all that is to be done before AND AFTER move in. Providing clauses in your favor if certain items are not done by certain times. Our brand new house had a porch with some sections being 8inches+ deep while our foundation for the slab built home was cracked by year 5. We had no grass while moving in and they tried to put in fixtures and paint colors we didn't ask for.
Move forward 11yrs and we buy a flipped house. Know your flippers and research them. Ours were shady and well versed at hiding things. We had a very thorough inspection and even they missed the rotting floor. The flippers went under the house to fit in pieces of wood, then laid flooring on top of the bad floor, had other places of water intrusion. Make sure you have copies of EVERYTHING. We were able to recover some cost because we did. We ended up suing for breach of contract(which we won). So please homebuyers be careful out there!
Load More Replies...My lazy uncle is an electrician. Based on his personal ethics and how he built things for "loved" family members, he was probably the electrician that wired this house. Find a trustworthy guy and stick with them!
Uncle will one day regret all his shoddy work. Hopefully so. No wonder there are house fires caused my dopes like him
Load More Replies...Husband is an electrician. Some regular customers of ours had their house renovated so lots of building works. They used the builder's own electrician instead of us as 'seemed easier'. It happens, what can you do??? Yet got a phone call as our customer got an electric shock off the light switch that WE didn't fit. Their builders had fitted metal light fittings but not earthed them. The builder's electrician came out with a lot of excuses, but it boils down to 'didn't do the job properly'. If you have a regular electrician that you know and rate and you get building works done, you do NOT have to use their electrician. If you have a good tradesman, stick to them and tell the builder they can lump it.
They probably paid the guy who fixed the roof in ceramic tiles too.
Maybe they paid him in roof tiles, didn't leave enough for the property and leak ensued
Load More Replies...Kudos to this Electrician. It's nice to know there is still some honest people out there.
The person writing the article (um, aka book report of a blog) did that, not the actual OP (aka the blogger).
Load More Replies...Why not straight up telling the client you don´t wanna do the job? Why name a inflated price he is bound to reject?
You name the price you'd be willing to do it for. Your normal price wouldn't be worth putting up with them, but maybe 250% of normal is enough to make it worth your while.
Load More Replies...I'm 4+ years into a reno on a 1920 bungalow which includes a total rewire. Inspector (city)has been great. We of course have gone beyond code with everything. At least 1 gauge heavier on all wiring, every room on separate breakers, most on 2 and lights on yet another, per room. I tell you this because we're NOT electricians but like to "do it right" the first time. Now comes my house (county), built in '93. I was there for most of the build and did some of it myself. Certified, licensed electrician did that part of it. When we renovated the kitchen 20 years later, boom, hidden junction point. Last year when I replaced light/fan in shower (low enough to touch standing in shower - allowed by code as long as it's approved for wet location AND wired to GFIC circuit. The electrician never hooked up the ground. I learned right then that inspectors trust licensed people far too much. So far the only thing the inspector has told us to do is but some nail guards where the plumbers failed to.
Dear Jurgita, you wrote, "Have you ever heard of house flipping and did you know that it’s riskier to buy a flipped house than a newly built one?" I think there are few who have not heard the term house flipping as it has been a thing since at least the 1980s. I must say that your statement it is riskier to buy a flipped house than a new built one is completely incorrect. I would tell any homebuyer of any house to do some homework before buying. Our first house was a new build and it was a pain. Make sure you know local and state rules and regs for things like foundations, and make sure you have a detailed copy of all that is to be done before AND AFTER move in. Providing clauses in your favor if certain items are not done by certain times. Our brand new house had a porch with some sections being 8inches+ deep while our foundation for the slab built home was cracked by year 5. We had no grass while moving in and they tried to put in fixtures and paint colors we didn't ask for.
Move forward 11yrs and we buy a flipped house. Know your flippers and research them. Ours were shady and well versed at hiding things. We had a very thorough inspection and even they missed the rotting floor. The flippers went under the house to fit in pieces of wood, then laid flooring on top of the bad floor, had other places of water intrusion. Make sure you have copies of EVERYTHING. We were able to recover some cost because we did. We ended up suing for breach of contract(which we won). So please homebuyers be careful out there!
Load More Replies...My lazy uncle is an electrician. Based on his personal ethics and how he built things for "loved" family members, he was probably the electrician that wired this house. Find a trustworthy guy and stick with them!
Uncle will one day regret all his shoddy work. Hopefully so. No wonder there are house fires caused my dopes like him
Load More Replies...
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