The closer you look, the weirder things get. And yes, that applies to buildings, too! When you actually take the time to look at your home—and we mean really LOOK at it—you might start to notice some incredibly bizarre design and building decisions. Suddenly, a ton of things stop making sense. Like why the roof of your house is curved. Or why this particular light switch turns on a lamp that’s way over there. Or why your outside terrace is made from the least weather-resistant materials (perhaps in the Universe).
These are all questions that digital influencer, lifestyle blogger, and prop stylist Joanna Hawley-McBride, aka Jojotastic, asks in her wonderfully weird and lightheartedly satirical TikTok video series, ‘Questions I have for the man who built my house.’ It’s a real treat for homeowners (both actual and prospective), architects, builders, and fans of designs, and we’re sharing Joanna’s videos with you today, dear Pandas.
Congratulations, you’ve taken your first step down the rabbit hole and out of the Matrix, and odds are that you’ll start noticing a bunch of quirks about your own home now, too. It’s good to have these questions because you develop your sense of taste and you start noticing bizarre and unusual decisions. And it’s a lot of fun giggling and trying to imagine what went through a builder’s head. Scroll down for Jojotastic’s funny and insightful TikToks (the link to each video is right underneath each pic), and let us know what you thought of them in the comments.
Bored Panda reached out to Joanna and she was kind enough to tell us all about her video series, moving to the remote cabin, and how she feels about having such a massive following. "Sometimes it blows my mind that I have such a large audience, especially because I'm just a woman in the woods with fancy chickens and satellite internet posting satirical videos of my house on the internet!" she quipped. Meanwhile, Ariane Sherine, the editor at ‘These Three Rooms,’ answered Bored Panda's questions about why builders make decisions that might feel illogical and how to embrace homes being imperfect. Read on for our full interviews with Joanna and Ariane, Pandas!
More info: TikTok | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Jojotastic.com
In 2020, Joanna moved to a remote cabin in the mountains outside of Seattle
Image credits: jojotastic
She then started the renovation process of turning it into a quirky dream house
Image credits: jojotastic
Image credits: jojotastic
Image credits: jojotastic
Joanna has been sharing the adventures of renovating and decorating her house on her social media accounts
Image credits: jojotastic
Image credits: jojotastic
Image credits: jojotastic
Image credits: jojotastic
However, she noticed some interesting details about the remote cabin that didn't make much sense and she decided to share them with her followers
Image credits: jojotastic.blog
"Questions I have for the man who built my house" is now a viral series on her TikTok channel
@jojotastic.blog The guy literally lives the next street over 👀 #homeownership #buyahousetheysaid #cabinlife #electricalwork #justwhyyyyyy #decortok ♬ Sneaky Snitch - Kevin MacLeod
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You couldn't have centered that light fixture? Okay. And while we are on the subject, why are you so close to the trim?
And let's not forget - there's an outlet!
Joanna told Bored Panda that she started the 'Questions I have for the man who built my house' video series on a whim because her house is "truly one-of-a-kind and very, very quirky." While walking up the stairs, she realized just how hilarious it was that they had so many outlets. "I was curious to see if anyone else would find it comical and apparently many people do!" she shared.
"During the buying process of this home, I accidentally found the man who did in fact build it! Our town is a very remote, small community and I was searching online for a contractor to provide an estimate... and found him as the only one out here!" Joanna told us. "When I called, he recalled building the house in 1987, but said he's now retired. He wasn't especially friendly, so it was a quick call. Now, as we discover more and more 'features' of the house, we jokingly shout his name and ask WHYYY (for example the 17 outlets in our bedroom). I hope to meet him one day, but people really keep to themselves out here so I'm not holding my breath."
The digital influencer revealed to us that she's gotten two types of responses to her videos. Some people completely don't realize that the videos are satirical and think that she and her husband shouldn't have bought the home. Meanwhile, others are grateful that someone's posting realistic content about buying a real home. It acts as a nice contrast to the overly-polished, shiny pictures and videos found on social media. We think the truth is beautiful. With all of its imperfections.
You couldn't have opted for a window that fit, instead, you cut into it and trimmed it like that?
"After owning a house that was 110+ years old prior to this one, we very much know that no home is perfect... nor is it ever fully finished/renovated. Especially in this housing market where it can feel like the only option is the rundown fixer-upper," she said.
Joanna stressed just how key inspections are during the buying process. They're vital when it comes to knowing what you're getting into. "Our buying process was pretty standard since we aren't in an area that's overwhelmingly desirable like city real estate is. I know that this step of the home buying process is often skipped now and can be challenging in competitive housing markets though. We had our home inspected and even brought out a trusted contractor to confirm a few things and provide an estimate. Then we were able to negotiate the buying price based on that info," she shared.
"Because we're handy and confident DIY types, our main focus during buying is to make sure that the big-ticket items are good: the roof, the plumbing, the well and septic (in this case), etc. Pretty much everything I've mentioned in the video series is something we can fix ourselves. Or it's something that we are learning to live with, like the multitudes of outlets and switches and the varying floor levels. It comes down to a cost/benefit ratio... is it worth it to dig into the crawlspace/concrete slab to put the plumbing underground in order to remove the steps up to the bathrooms? For us, the answer is no," she explained where the line between something that's a real issue and a quirk lies for her.
Bored Panda was interested to get to know Joanna even better, so we asked her about her background, what keeps her passionate about she does, and what it feels like to have so many online fans.
"I've been working in the digital world since 2009 back when it was primarily just blogs... so I've been around! As more social platforms were created, my community grew and my content evolved as I purchased my first home, got married, and now as we have tackled cabin renovations. I'm lucky to be able to do what I do every day and am extremely grateful to everyone who's chosen to follow our journey and be part of it," she told us that her fans make her very happy.
16 outlets in my bedroom alone. I know that there's more, I just haven't found them yet. And they are not even wired. They're just like wires hanging in a box.
When you rearrange furniture you never know if an outlet will be close enough for lamps and other things. Wonder if the original builder added these for 'jic' but never needed them? Having 16 outlets in my bedroom would be exactly what I would want! I've got four extension cords or power cords in my room for lamps, desk fans, computers, t.v., Alexa, etc. "I need more power!"
Nature and being in the mountains are what fuel Joanna's creativity. It's also a major part of why she and her husband left city life to move to the middle of nowhere.
"I'm happiest without phone service and usually come up with my best ideas while swimming in alpine lakes, hiking, or rock climbing. Couple that with being diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Birt-Hogg-Dubé and we knew we wanted to make a major life change. Thankfully, sharing this personal journey on my blog and social media channels have resonated with other people and inspired them while allowing me to continue creating content that I feel passionate about sharing!"
Why does this switch operate that outlet, especially when there's a light fixture right there. What am I plugging in there?
Either the previous owner wanted to be able to easily swap out chandeliers, or they had holiday decorations to plug in.
My main bedroom has a switch that controls all the outlet so we have to leave it to always on. But the builder didn’t install an overhead lighting. I’m just baffled how they did that. There are more switches that control outlets in my house. However we have a switch in my kitchen that we have yet to find out the purpose. My house was built in 2003 and I live in Seattle lol. I guess it’s a Washington builder thing?
Sometimes the switch was made to control an outlet for a lamp. That way you can hit the switch when you walk in instead of having to go to the lamp. But I have no clue why it would control the whole room.
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Christmas lights?! Idk on top of our bar there's a little ledge like that in which I have a string of LED lights (prefer dimmed down blue or pink LeDs than the harsh regular lights at night. How i wish our house had an outlet somewhere up there instead of me having to use an extension cord
That's what I was going to say! I was looking at spots in my house last Christmas thinking I wish I had outlets up there. Another useful spot, and we did put these in, is outlets up by the roof edge to hang lights. Then have those controlled by a switch in the house.
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On outlet on the ceiling turned on by a light switch..........I'm also curious as to the story behind that. Although in hindsight at least the outlet is out of reach of small children.
For a ceiling fan or light fixture, of possibly for a vacuum for use on the stairs?
Why would it be illegal if it was properly installed?
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There was a time when all your lights were lamps and you left them on and just flipped the switch. The house i rent is like that. All the outlets in the living room and outside are controlled by a switch. There is no main light. I wish i had an outlet on the ceiling to accommodate the light i hung to mimic a main light.
Holiday lighting on the railing that is just next to the ceiling outlet. You want to be able to turn it off in case you take-off out of the house. Most people will leave the house comfortable with house lighting on,but to leave the Christmas tree or other decorative lights running, no.
Most likely at a later date they were going to have track lighting, but went over on cost . So it's easy to just put outlet in so they can trun power on
I think it was for track lighting, and they made it an outlet because of cost .
For Christmas lights on the stair rails. Or security camera power outlets.
It's obvious the home was a custom build. They had design ideas as they were building/ remodeling.
Maybe an outlet for Christmas lights. Maybe they didn't want to install a light for that area when building but put the outlet there for "just in case" he realized it needed a light. As an electrician myself, where that is, it is a real pita to wire that area after everything is closed up. So remove the recep, cap the wires and put a blank plate on it.
Am I the only one whose sex swing has optional color changing LED’s so you can see what……oops, I mean ‘who,’…..you’re doing? A ceiling outlet is genius! It’s so embarrassing tripping over the cord when you have to get up to turn the overhead lights on because it’s too dark to loosen a ball gag, especially the harness kind.
For Christmas decorations maybe?? I know I would use it for string lights or maybe even a fan to circulate air, or to vacuum the stairs.
Christmas trees... Oh my goodness, I wish I had one on the ceiling.
Might be worth having the place properly rewired, strip out all the odd c**p== far less potential for fire
That was obviously added for a specific use case for the previous occupannt
Maybe he thought the code required smoke and carbon monoxide detector near the stair needed an outlet?! Lololo
Not sure your electrical code however you need a light on every stairs. Where im from That outlet is controlled by the switch witch means the purpose is for plug in light of some sort.
Again, Xmas lights, you can turn them off from a switch I can install them all the time in new homes..!
Most likely used to operate a lamp before the last remodel. It's typical to homes from a certain era.
You guys are complaining about trivial things in your house. At least you guys have a house. Quit your whining and attention seeking and just make the adjustments yourself.
It's for a Christmas tree in the foyer so you can turn it on with a flip of a switch. It's also why it's close to the stairs so you don't have to climb a ladder to put it up.
Stupid questions houses didn't have lamps installed back in the day. That is why
Joanna is a major powerhouse over on Pinterest. She has a whopping 3.8 million followers on the image-sharing site, and odds are that you might have stumbled across one of her posts without even knowing it.
The influencer lives in an "extremely remote" cabin outside of Seattle, with her husband and two dogs. And they also have a flock of “fancy chickens and geese,” which sounds downright idyllic. Who wouldn’t want that? Joanna is remodeling a cabin in the North Cascades from the ‘80s, which is the focus of her ‘Questions I have for the man who built my house’ videos, though she posts about a lot of different things.
According to Ariane, the editor at 'These Three Rooms,' there can be a range of reasons why builders make decisions that homeowners might feel totally don't make sense. Not all of them are the hallmarks of villainous intent. Though... some definitely might be.
"Certain materials might be unavailable so they decide to use an unsuitable substitute, or they might have a surplus of the substitute that they want to use up. They might be misinformed and not very good at their job and think they're doing the right thing. Or they might be trying to save money and end up cutting corners as a result," she told Bored Panda.
Let’s discuss the various intersections of trim/logs/baseboards/etc. in our home coz IT'S A PARTY.
Some red flags that indicate that corners are being cut include builders using materials that aren't fit for purpose. Ariane explained that an example of this would be using non-weather-resistant woods like oak, ash, and pine outdoors.
"Or not following the correct process during an installation, such as not tanking a wetroom to ensure it's waterproof. I also had a builder who fitted decking on top of my garden but didn't put down a thick heavy-duty membrane over the original garden, so to this day weeds still grow through the decking. I learned from that mistake and now advise that you should always use licensed and vetted trades for this reason," she said that it's essential you work with professionals you can trust.
In Ariane's opinion, no house is ever truly 'finished.' "There's always some problem, something to fix or replace that would make it better. Realistically, as long as there's nothing major such as a faulty boiler or leaking roof, it's up to the homeowner what they're willing to live with," she told Bored Panda.
Left window is a different size than right window. Why?
By the way, all three of these are slightly different sizes.
Pretty sure there was a sale at the discount window store the day these were put in.
Why do I need to go upstairs to go to the bathroom? Or do laundry?
SO MANY LEVELS… one of my theories is that the house didn’t originally have plumbing so they added it by bumping up the floors for the pipes, but who even knows.
"I personally want to make my house as beautiful and well-functioning as possible because I'm obsessed with interiors and architecture, but other people may have zero interest in decor. Only you can decide what's right for you."
A bit of quirkiness can add charm to a home. It’s easy to embrace some mistakes that don’t impact our day-to-day lives. However, other flaws are far harder to forgive, like the use of cheap or inadequate materials, or simply cutting one corner too many during the building process.
How "UNsquare" this corner is. Nothing about it is square. And why are there so many angles?
You go upstairs and then you have to take a step down to get to my office. Why?
However, some homeowners and architects fully embrace the weirdness and go all out. A while back, Bored Panda spoke to an urban planning expert from Sweden, who shared her philosophy and views about how public and private buildings look.
“Most of the time, the elements of the built environment should be in harmony amidst each other and with the surroundings. However, sometimes, something bolder and out-of-the-box might form an engaging contrast,” she said that, in her opinion, built environments should strive to stimulate our minds and senses, and should engage us. For her, one of the most powerful aspects of architecture is its ability to make us think.
“There are circumstances where the architecture should create a sense of calmness and safety, yet there are instances in which it is not bad if the architecture provokes us and makes us think, ‘Why don't I like the look of this building?’” the urban planning expert said that when it comes to private property, people should have the freedom to express themselves as they like. Nearly everything is allowed, according to her.
This is a funnel. The drainage pipe didn't meet up with where the drain was for the shower. So they put a funnel in, and this funnel wasn't glued in place either. It was just resting there. The drainage pipe that connects to the sewer system was probably off by an inch or so, so they just put a funnel in there, but they didn't attach the funnel to anything.
I want to know why our front porch is made of the least weather-friendly material ever known to mankind? Period.com. We got two feet of snow this past winter. And we live in the Pacific Northwest, so it rains all of the time. And this material is not supposed to get wet unless it's been painted. Why, why would you do that? Why?
Why would you buy a house knowing that it had these issues? Did you get a home inspection before you bought it?
“Quirky architecture comes from our innate desire to demonstrate our uniqueness. However, not everyone who has the means has an average taste for aesthetics. Yet, as long as it is for the people who inhabit or use their private space, I mean why not?” she shared her thoughts with Bored Panda.
“But, I think that we should not cross that thin line where architecture becomes reserved for only the wealthy and for those with ‘good taste’ (whoever decides that). I’m only talking about private property here, though. When it comes to public space, there should be a consensus between the public and the professional about the design,” she said.
The expert shared some of her thoughts about design, too. “Firstly, even though I often advocate for unconventionally looking buildings, I do not encourage purposefully provocative architecture. The building should be designed with the intention to accommodate and protect society. It should create a sense of safety but not be boring,” said that there has to be a balance between what the designer wants and what the community might need.
Why is there unpainted wood behind the glass in the window?
There's this outlet which is controlled by a switch down there. Why?
Accessibility, inclusiveness, and empowerment should all ideally be key parts of any architectural project. “Also, I prefer somewhat complex but systemic designs. Minimalistic and box-like floor plans are good in some cases where easy access is necessary (for example, hospitals) yet they can be completely mind-numbing while more complex floor plan designs are more mind-stimulating (for example, good for schools, in my opinion).”
Why there are 22 pieces of trim? And they didn't even fill the screw holes.
The Previous Male Occupant of my house built a garage that has 5 separate pueces of wood for a 20-foot ridge beam. Also, one wall has 23 separate pieces of plywood jigsawed together. He went dumpster-diving at a development under construction and used cutoffs. I could go on and on.
After going viral, Joanna explained that the series is satire and she absolutely loves her quirky house
Here's how some people reacted to the video series
It's obvious they purchased someone's project or summer home. The builder used recycled or discounted items. I can't get back the time I spent ready this article.
This article is complaining that the homemade buffalo mozzarella a guy made for his backyard brick oven doesn't taste right on your fish tacos. It's an item designed and used by an individual who knew exactly what they wanted and made it over several years until they had what they wanted. Maybe the 16 outlets were for lava lamps that each had 1ft cords. Maybe the bump on the roof is to allow it to withstand heavy mountain snow (not uncommon). if you've ever seen an empty semi flatbed trailer, they bow upward because they're designed to flatten and distribute the weight when loaded. Don't buy food at the farmer's market and then complain you had to drastically misuse it to have it taste like Chipotle.
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I'm trying to figure out what she means by "this article is satire." What is she satirizing? People who don't understand that the person who built their house might have had different priorities and preferences than they do?
It doesn't sound like satire indeed. Just trying to cover up het whining by a smile, "it was just a joke".
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That's what I was thinking?! Why are you complaining? You bought the house!
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I have one question for your post. Why can't you take your before and after pictures from the same perspective?
I'd really dig having some ceiling receptacles... I can think of many creative uses for them!
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Never thought boredpanda would publish such low quality article. For someone with little money, she has too much complaints.
Are you new here? It's not exactly the gold standard of high quality content.
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She says it's satire, but it definitely doesn't read like satire. It just sounds like a person nit-picking everything and complaining about a couple minor issues and a lot of non-issues, and then saying "it's satire" to because she didn't like people's reactions or something.
This is a remote cabin in the mountains. Not sure why they were expecting it to be modernized and efficient for their needs. It looks like it was customized to the original owners needs. I would never expect to purchase a remote cabin that's move-in ready.
Because it's lovely maybe? Because it's in their budget? Idk, have you even read the post?
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The before and after pictures were just terrible. Use the same camera angle in both pictures. That said a lot of her "complaints" are laughable.
She would have a field day in my 300 year old house. Everything has been half assed diy. Edit: nothing electrical or plumbing of course.
Did some renovations for my cousin on my late uncle's 150 yo home in Ohio... I learned *A Lot*!
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I am just imagining your Minecraft house filled with so much redstone it looks like someone set off a red smoke bomb at a crack party.
Load More Replies... Way too many people in the comments don't know how to have fun with life. Obviously, if anything was a concern, they would not have bought the house. It's on to be amused by someone's baffling choices in construction, it won't hurt you.
You say that, but idiots these days are waiving inspections left and right
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how does she not understand that none of the things she's bitching about are original to the house? it's all retrofitting and changes made by subsequent owners.
Wait, if you found the guy who built it why wouldn't you include him in the blog. Joke or not, pointing all these quirks out and asking "why" you could legit just ask him then post the answers. You could even ask if he would be involved in videos explaining parts of the house and how they developed over the years. It would be way more informative and interesting. Standard houses get redone over the years and develop oddities and quirks because of costs, lack of knowledge, or various practical reasons. Let alone a custom built home.
Article says she accidentally contacted the builder (the only GC/ reno guy in the area)... he remembered building the house, but he is now retired & started his retirement job as The Village Grump.
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I think the house looked way better before she renovated she took away all its charm and made it a cookie cutter house
You can tell that the original builder started off with a smaller cabin and kept adding to it over the years. You can see this in older homes. It's more common than people know, especially if the home is away from HOAs.
Mountain homes, or cabins for some, are a different animal. We looked at so many in our area and there were some really weird things. Way weirder than this.
Most of this is just "I'm not very smart and don't have the life experience to understand why things are built how/where/why they are." And I'm really getting tired of "hurr durr why r outlets there?" posts.
Why not just be proud of what you did instead of mocking the previous owner? Not everyone can afford to fix up a house.
I feel a sense of solidarity with the builder and the obvious poor planning skills on some of these things. They made it work with what they had though and I respect it. Anyways those before and after pictures suck. You can't take them from different angles like that. Like the first one where it looks like they made the two story house into a one story house
The house was built in 1987. Does the OP think no one else lived there after the original owners sold it? Do they think no one else has the DIY bug when they buy a house? About a third of these could be explained by "houses age", another great chunk by "that's not wrong, just a different style than you're used to". The rest is just "you aren't the only one who likes to renovate their new home".
My house was built in the 30s the baseboards are awful besides that's where all my plugs are the baseboards are like 8in tall. Our bathroom use to be a bedroom a tiny bedroom I must add. So I have a nice bathtub but to fit the shower curtain in between said Windows your left with a 2x2 square to rotate in. Definitely was difficult while pregnant lol. Not to mention we have 15 windows in a 2 bedroom house. I only complain because my brother can make it something. I just live here haha. But definitely inconvenient to say the least .
Oh, you sweet summer child, this stuff is nothing. I've been in flips where the floor was so uneven it would run like a marble maze and lived in a place where we took the chimney down by literally just picking up the bricks. This is all just someone making stuff work.
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I have a light switch in my bedroom that connects to nothing. The switch is just there. It doesn’t control an outlet and there is no light fixture in the room. Same in the living room, no overhead lighting but it runs one outlet that the tv and router is plugged into. You hit the switch by accident and off goes the wifi.
Meanwhile, you're turning the attic light on and off.
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I live in a town of 1300, currently anyway. I am the second owner, the house was built in 1941 and I admit it's solid and it'll probably be here another 80 years. But; There is a front door and a kitchen door that goes into the 2-car garage, no other egress to back yard. Hope I don't have a fire and need to climb out a window - oh, wait I can't 'cause ALL windows are double sheet picture windows ie: non-opening except tiny bathroom window. Yes, kitchen, dining area, living room and bedrooms = massive picture windows. Has cost me a bundle in blinds and drapes too! Back to the garage = it was obviously originally a 1-car some distance from the kitchen, with a miracle of carpentry he added walls, roof and poured concrete floor to make a lovely 2-car garage. Problems? The two floors don't meet neatly and are a tripping hazard, the loft above parking has a floor and is big enough for a bedroom but the only access is a portable ladder. No stairs. Whoa, I forgot my favorite; the bathroom.
Bath vanity blocked the inward opening door and you had to turn sideways to get in. I removed the vanity immediately and put in a tall shelving unit and small vanity. 70583644_1...45d7f7.jpg 
You can satirize without being a complete douche - which is what this woman did. I think a lot of you just wanted to be mad at the lady. The article does say she's lightheartedly poking fun at OG builder.
The ppl who sold her this hide a way needs to give her money back, then tell her to smoke another j, then get the "f" OUT!!! What a "B"....
I have many questions about the house I live in. The biggest being, you decided to make a double master bedroom, with a beautiful view of the private lake. But, instead of putting windows, or a Juliette balcony on that wall, you put closets. 🤦♀️
Grammie used to say that Grandpa "wasn't a finish carpenter"... What she meant, of course, was "It lacks aesthetics, but functions." Maybe it would be fun and interesting to job shadow a carpenter for a day!
Maybe if I could read her voice tone???????? Then maybe I could get it???????
Female GC here.. I'd say all those ceiling outlets were installed to allow for track/ directional lighting options w/o making holes for recessed can lights, both of which were rather trendy in the 80's & 90's. Boys & girls, can anyone say "Nagle prints"? I would love to have some ceiling receptacles... it would be great for holiday lights, easily swapping quirky pendants or cleverly installed LED strips to add some subtle ambient interest. The former "hunting cabin" I'm renting out on the Olympic Peninsula is a never ending series of poorly executed bad ideas on top of another. I can see daylight through the casings of the "custom wood casement windows" (all new double pane glass is waiting for more than 3 days of dry weather in a row to rebuild them), the gable is asymmetrical ergo the windows are totally different dimensions, all electrical receptacles are upside down protruding ½" from the drywall & some genius grouted the (now leaking) shower/tub fixtures directly into the tile
The answer to every question asked about the home; because the buyer/writer/complainer in chief wasn't there to pay for and do the work. Geez ow. Now she can remod however she wants. I know this isn't the Reddit topic AITA but this just screams out: yes, you are. Stop mocking the prior owners efforts for internet points.
Man I feel bad for this lady her house is not so stable why would people think this is funny that this house is not good just WHY!!!
"remodeling a cabin in the North Cascades from the ‘80s" Ok so this cabin was just put together and was added on much later without guides or rules basiccly. Older hones in the 1900s and older are same way there is no osha or inspection that makes you follow the rules as much back then. A lot of those where added years later
The right question to ask here would be "How did it pass the home inspection?" As far as I know there is standard procedure for any construction: you get somehow the building permit, then you build with licensed, insured etc contractors and then you are supposed to pass the building department inspections before they release this building as good for ocupation (and good for sale btw). I am wondering do they have the building department in those area?
I'm really sympathetic to your problems but I need to be honest... my daughter bought a craftsman house build in 1910. She had to do some major$$$ repairs because nothing had been upgraded ever! I sent your story to her hoping that it made her feel better about her house and what she's had to fix. I think your remodel/redecorated photos are beautiful and you have a good eye! Back to the FUNNEL!! Oh a pox on them and may the fleas of a thousand camels bite the builder in the A$$.... twice.
You really need to contact Doug Demuro on Youtube. He mostly reviews quirky cars, but he has done a few quirky hotel rooms and houses. The weird things you described here are literally what he reviews. Ask him to do a Youtube review on your quirky house. Be sure to mention the outlets on the ceiling and the strange window placement choices. Quirky is what he is into.
We moved into a 100-year-old Craftsman a couple years ago. For several months, I would find at least one reason every day to say, "Why did they do this thing here this way with this stuff like this?!?!"
this is relatable content lol i love my apartment but i also love poking fun at some of the choices my landlord made while fixing it up. the closet angles in my house will never stop being funny
JFC you people need a sense of humor. If you live in a "quirky" home that you love, complaining about it is part of the fun. You guys are whining about the article, but you read it, and then whined that you chose to read it. Go hang out in Reddit if you want to be assholes.
I'm a contractor with almost 40 years experience. I wouldn't buy this house if you had a gun to my head. Not only would I not buy it, I would work on it. Whoever did this work is a complete hack. That roof make my head hurt. I would bet my life that the issues you can't see are many times worse than the ones you can. Run away.
Omg I can't believe how angry and offended people are getting from this. Also can't believe how this swooshed over so many people's heads! Good lord 🙄. She's not complaining. Her point was to share the quirks of her house with other people. It's interesting and different. That's all. People need to take a chill pill. So many angry people in the world.
It's obvious they purchased someone's project or summer home. The builder used recycled or discounted items. I can't get back the time I spent ready this article.
This article is complaining that the homemade buffalo mozzarella a guy made for his backyard brick oven doesn't taste right on your fish tacos. It's an item designed and used by an individual who knew exactly what they wanted and made it over several years until they had what they wanted. Maybe the 16 outlets were for lava lamps that each had 1ft cords. Maybe the bump on the roof is to allow it to withstand heavy mountain snow (not uncommon). if you've ever seen an empty semi flatbed trailer, they bow upward because they're designed to flatten and distribute the weight when loaded. Don't buy food at the farmer's market and then complain you had to drastically misuse it to have it taste like Chipotle.
Load More Replies... I'm trying to figure out what she means by "this article is satire." What is she satirizing? People who don't understand that the person who built their house might have had different priorities and preferences than they do?
It doesn't sound like satire indeed. Just trying to cover up het whining by a smile, "it was just a joke".
Load More Replies... That's what I was thinking?! Why are you complaining? You bought the house!
Load More Replies... I have one question for your post. Why can't you take your before and after pictures from the same perspective?
I'd really dig having some ceiling receptacles... I can think of many creative uses for them!
Load More Replies... Never thought boredpanda would publish such low quality article. For someone with little money, she has too much complaints.
Are you new here? It's not exactly the gold standard of high quality content.
Load More Replies... She says it's satire, but it definitely doesn't read like satire. It just sounds like a person nit-picking everything and complaining about a couple minor issues and a lot of non-issues, and then saying "it's satire" to because she didn't like people's reactions or something.
This is a remote cabin in the mountains. Not sure why they were expecting it to be modernized and efficient for their needs. It looks like it was customized to the original owners needs. I would never expect to purchase a remote cabin that's move-in ready.
Because it's lovely maybe? Because it's in their budget? Idk, have you even read the post?
Load More Replies... The before and after pictures were just terrible. Use the same camera angle in both pictures. That said a lot of her "complaints" are laughable.
She would have a field day in my 300 year old house. Everything has been half assed diy. Edit: nothing electrical or plumbing of course.
Did some renovations for my cousin on my late uncle's 150 yo home in Ohio... I learned *A Lot*!
Load More Replies... I am just imagining your Minecraft house filled with so much redstone it looks like someone set off a red smoke bomb at a crack party.
Load More Replies... Way too many people in the comments don't know how to have fun with life. Obviously, if anything was a concern, they would not have bought the house. It's on to be amused by someone's baffling choices in construction, it won't hurt you.
You say that, but idiots these days are waiving inspections left and right
Load More Replies... how does she not understand that none of the things she's bitching about are original to the house? it's all retrofitting and changes made by subsequent owners.
Wait, if you found the guy who built it why wouldn't you include him in the blog. Joke or not, pointing all these quirks out and asking "why" you could legit just ask him then post the answers. You could even ask if he would be involved in videos explaining parts of the house and how they developed over the years. It would be way more informative and interesting. Standard houses get redone over the years and develop oddities and quirks because of costs, lack of knowledge, or various practical reasons. Let alone a custom built home.
Article says she accidentally contacted the builder (the only GC/ reno guy in the area)... he remembered building the house, but he is now retired & started his retirement job as The Village Grump.
Load More Replies... I think the house looked way better before she renovated she took away all its charm and made it a cookie cutter house
You can tell that the original builder started off with a smaller cabin and kept adding to it over the years. You can see this in older homes. It's more common than people know, especially if the home is away from HOAs.
Mountain homes, or cabins for some, are a different animal. We looked at so many in our area and there were some really weird things. Way weirder than this.
Most of this is just "I'm not very smart and don't have the life experience to understand why things are built how/where/why they are." And I'm really getting tired of "hurr durr why r outlets there?" posts.
Why not just be proud of what you did instead of mocking the previous owner? Not everyone can afford to fix up a house.
I feel a sense of solidarity with the builder and the obvious poor planning skills on some of these things. They made it work with what they had though and I respect it. Anyways those before and after pictures suck. You can't take them from different angles like that. Like the first one where it looks like they made the two story house into a one story house
The house was built in 1987. Does the OP think no one else lived there after the original owners sold it? Do they think no one else has the DIY bug when they buy a house? About a third of these could be explained by "houses age", another great chunk by "that's not wrong, just a different style than you're used to". The rest is just "you aren't the only one who likes to renovate their new home".
My house was built in the 30s the baseboards are awful besides that's where all my plugs are the baseboards are like 8in tall. Our bathroom use to be a bedroom a tiny bedroom I must add. So I have a nice bathtub but to fit the shower curtain in between said Windows your left with a 2x2 square to rotate in. Definitely was difficult while pregnant lol. Not to mention we have 15 windows in a 2 bedroom house. I only complain because my brother can make it something. I just live here haha. But definitely inconvenient to say the least .
Oh, you sweet summer child, this stuff is nothing. I've been in flips where the floor was so uneven it would run like a marble maze and lived in a place where we took the chimney down by literally just picking up the bricks. This is all just someone making stuff work.
Load More Replies... I have a light switch in my bedroom that connects to nothing. The switch is just there. It doesn’t control an outlet and there is no light fixture in the room. Same in the living room, no overhead lighting but it runs one outlet that the tv and router is plugged into. You hit the switch by accident and off goes the wifi.
Meanwhile, you're turning the attic light on and off.
Load More Replies... I live in a town of 1300, currently anyway. I am the second owner, the house was built in 1941 and I admit it's solid and it'll probably be here another 80 years. But; There is a front door and a kitchen door that goes into the 2-car garage, no other egress to back yard. Hope I don't have a fire and need to climb out a window - oh, wait I can't 'cause ALL windows are double sheet picture windows ie: non-opening except tiny bathroom window. Yes, kitchen, dining area, living room and bedrooms = massive picture windows. Has cost me a bundle in blinds and drapes too! Back to the garage = it was obviously originally a 1-car some distance from the kitchen, with a miracle of carpentry he added walls, roof and poured concrete floor to make a lovely 2-car garage. Problems? The two floors don't meet neatly and are a tripping hazard, the loft above parking has a floor and is big enough for a bedroom but the only access is a portable ladder. No stairs. Whoa, I forgot my favorite; the bathroom.
Bath vanity blocked the inward opening door and you had to turn sideways to get in. I removed the vanity immediately and put in a tall shelving unit and small vanity. 70583644_1...45d7f7.jpg
You can satirize without being a complete douche - which is what this woman did. I think a lot of you just wanted to be mad at the lady. The article does say she's lightheartedly poking fun at OG builder.
The ppl who sold her this hide a way needs to give her money back, then tell her to smoke another j, then get the "f" OUT!!! What a "B"....
I have many questions about the house I live in. The biggest being, you decided to make a double master bedroom, with a beautiful view of the private lake. But, instead of putting windows, or a Juliette balcony on that wall, you put closets. 🤦♀️
Grammie used to say that Grandpa "wasn't a finish carpenter"... What she meant, of course, was "It lacks aesthetics, but functions." Maybe it would be fun and interesting to job shadow a carpenter for a day!
Maybe if I could read her voice tone???????? Then maybe I could get it???????
Female GC here.. I'd say all those ceiling outlets were installed to allow for track/ directional lighting options w/o making holes for recessed can lights, both of which were rather trendy in the 80's & 90's. Boys & girls, can anyone say "Nagle prints"? I would love to have some ceiling receptacles... it would be great for holiday lights, easily swapping quirky pendants or cleverly installed LED strips to add some subtle ambient interest. The former "hunting cabin" I'm renting out on the Olympic Peninsula is a never ending series of poorly executed bad ideas on top of another. I can see daylight through the casings of the "custom wood casement windows" (all new double pane glass is waiting for more than 3 days of dry weather in a row to rebuild them), the gable is asymmetrical ergo the windows are totally different dimensions, all electrical receptacles are upside down protruding ½" from the drywall & some genius grouted the (now leaking) shower/tub fixtures directly into the tile
The answer to every question asked about the home; because the buyer/writer/complainer in chief wasn't there to pay for and do the work. Geez ow. Now she can remod however she wants. I know this isn't the Reddit topic AITA but this just screams out: yes, you are. Stop mocking the prior owners efforts for internet points.
Man I feel bad for this lady her house is not so stable why would people think this is funny that this house is not good just WHY!!!
"remodeling a cabin in the North Cascades from the ‘80s" Ok so this cabin was just put together and was added on much later without guides or rules basiccly. Older hones in the 1900s and older are same way there is no osha or inspection that makes you follow the rules as much back then. A lot of those where added years later
The right question to ask here would be "How did it pass the home inspection?" As far as I know there is standard procedure for any construction: you get somehow the building permit, then you build with licensed, insured etc contractors and then you are supposed to pass the building department inspections before they release this building as good for ocupation (and good for sale btw). I am wondering do they have the building department in those area?
I'm really sympathetic to your problems but I need to be honest... my daughter bought a craftsman house build in 1910. She had to do some major$$$ repairs because nothing had been upgraded ever! I sent your story to her hoping that it made her feel better about her house and what she's had to fix. I think your remodel/redecorated photos are beautiful and you have a good eye! Back to the FUNNEL!! Oh a pox on them and may the fleas of a thousand camels bite the builder in the A$$.... twice.
You really need to contact Doug Demuro on Youtube. He mostly reviews quirky cars, but he has done a few quirky hotel rooms and houses. The weird things you described here are literally what he reviews. Ask him to do a Youtube review on your quirky house. Be sure to mention the outlets on the ceiling and the strange window placement choices. Quirky is what he is into.
We moved into a 100-year-old Craftsman a couple years ago. For several months, I would find at least one reason every day to say, "Why did they do this thing here this way with this stuff like this?!?!"
this is relatable content lol i love my apartment but i also love poking fun at some of the choices my landlord made while fixing it up. the closet angles in my house will never stop being funny
JFC you people need a sense of humor. If you live in a "quirky" home that you love, complaining about it is part of the fun. You guys are whining about the article, but you read it, and then whined that you chose to read it. Go hang out in Reddit if you want to be assholes.
I'm a contractor with almost 40 years experience. I wouldn't buy this house if you had a gun to my head. Not only would I not buy it, I would work on it. Whoever did this work is a complete hack. That roof make my head hurt. I would bet my life that the issues you can't see are many times worse than the ones you can. Run away.
Omg I can't believe how angry and offended people are getting from this. Also can't believe how this swooshed over so many people's heads! Good lord 🙄. She's not complaining. Her point was to share the quirks of her house with other people. It's interesting and different. That's all. People need to take a chill pill. So many angry people in the world.
