Dodgey Bros reno

[lizzie]

I blame hubby 'cause I was near dead with the 'flu when we made the choice to buy the current reno job.

Looked okay and appeared to only need a repaint of some strange colours and new carpet ... but it wasn't until we got in that we realised that the house had been half reno'd by Dodgey Bros and Co ... which is why we normally never buy "half reno'd" joints.

So far - airconditioning unit was installed with the drain pipe running UPHILL out of the house. First time I turned it on, got flooded with water running back inside. Didn't help that the "insides" of the aircon weren't actually attached to anything. Repairman had fun with some cable ties there.

Got electrician in to check some funky wiring - previous vendor was a licenced electrician (go figure) and had done some stuff that didn't look quite right. Electrican took one look at the power board and told us not to touch ANYTHING until he returned to rewire the house.

I couldn't work out why the sash window wouldn't stay open - until hubby pointed out that it was actually a side slider installed on it's side. Okay. Really dumb - but even dumber - if you were going to be so dumb why not install it with the sliding panel on the top side, so at least you could slide it open downwards and shut it up with the clipping latches. Not sure what we're going to do about this - but it isn't an essential window for airflow so might just stay how it is. (we're talking Cessnock not Merewether here)

There have been many many many other shake-the-head little episodes but I am finally onto the last room ... a dark colour and hideous paint job ... only one coat in the corners so undercolour shows thru and slapping all over the cornices ... peeled off the ugly wallpaper boarder that ran around the room mid-way up the walls to find that new gyprock had been installed and painted - but he hadn't bothered to tape or plaster the joints? WTF

What was this previous vendor thinking? What Dodgey Bros reno's stories have you come across?

 

[sanj]

What was this previous vendor thinking? What Dodgey Bros reno's stories have you come across?

bought a place earlier this year that had the tv antenna wiring done through a gap in the roof tiles, huge hole in the board then run down metal window frame and out through a hole drilled in the same window frame.

 

[nhg]

If only I could post photos.

Purchased a place with a second dwelling. Was planning to do a quick reno, 3 months and 20k later essentially stripped previous owners "work" and re-did the entire interior. Still $40k equity and cashflow positive.

Used some sort of 'fake' corrugated looking plastic on the walls, some rooms were made of cheap rough wood. Ridiculous plumbing, drainage pipes that led to nowhere, tried to blend a double door to look like a wall, just stuck a strip of metal over the gap between the doors to hold it shut and painted over it lol.

 

[Munchkin]

The house I am in now was previous home to king dodgy brother. Sad part is, he is my brother!

We have so much to fix, lucky we LOVE the location!

 

[Ironlady]

Hi

We purchased an old commission house and some of the work was ordinary,eg.
When we tried to remove tiles in bath the whole 3 layers of tiles and fibro came off (that could of hurt), He the previous owner cut out load bearing studs for his tv to sit in his crappy entertainment cabinet, He started to extend on the outside by driving some pipes in the ground, then tossed in a bit of concrete at ground level, knocked holes in the fibro walls and screwed on some purlins.
I recon he was on something for sure.
The only good thing he done was not completing some of his work (less damage).
We did buy the house cheap and is coming along ok.
He now gets the blame for any mistakes that we make to.

Regards Ironlady

 

[Dazz]

the drain pipe running UPHILL

...story of my portfolio....

I think roof plumbers exist in a parallel universe where gravity runs the opposite way.

There isn't one property, not a single one, across the full spectrum we own where the roof plumbers haven't installed the downpipes at the highest point of the gutter. I'm sure they do it for a laugh. All the gutters literally have to be chok-a-blok before any water runs down the downpipe.

Of course, as soon as the spill point is reached, they stop, leaving the gutters full, to merrily rust away....gathering dust / rust and grit.

Last reno on our PPoR we had done, I sat the roof plumber down and told a frustrating 15 minute story to him about my experiences, and how he was the # 1 tradesman I was going to keep an eye on, cos after they'd all left, other than the grano workers who pour the foundations to make sure everything stays upright, his trade is the one that gives me the most grief.

Sure as eggs, after he'd finished, nothing flowed. Trouble was, I was working at the time, and didn't get home 'til 6pm. The roof plumber had finished and packed up and "she'll be apples mate" well before 3pm. Summer time as well. It wasn't 'til the next April we discovered what a rubbish (typical job he'd done. 3/4 of the guttering was replaced around the house and not a sausage, not one of the downpipes was placed at the low point of the gutter run.

Infuriating.

Instead of fighting and arguing, I simply got out my marker and drill, located the low points of each gutter run, and drilled a sufficiently large hole such that normal debris wouldn't clog it up.

Now when the rain comes, the gutters drain via gravity as they are supposed to, and within 1 hour, my gutters are sparkling clean and dry.....and they'll last for years.

Subsequent to this, I've seen roof plumbing systems that simply allow the rain to fall straight to the floor - no gutter at all - and there is a trench covered with steel grating that accepts the water on the ground. Brilliant. No gutters. No downpipes at all. They can't fail ever if they aren't there.

Water leakage and water damage due to faulty gutters and downpipes would be my # 1 portfolio bug bear.