How do you guys stand it ?

[ed morini]

The other problem here that I see from some of the complaints above is the feeling that all the regulations and procedures take to much time.
I have been building since 1968 and am 64 now and have seem a tremendous change in the whole permitting process. Used to be the BI knew you and that was that, especially if you were a "townie". Most of those guys were carpenters themselves and knew what was up. You never used a structural engineer, worried about load paths, because there were implied standards (and written codes back to 1908 if I remember correctly) . Everyone new who was good and who was not, and people listened to experience and used what others had learned.

Today new ball game, BI is a career path (not a criticism) and the code is the rule not the exception. Most of all the old guys are gone and along with went the old way of building. The process we have today establishes a paper trail to protect all that are involved.

Just for chuckles look up the Code of Hammurabi
The Secrets of the Code. | Architecture for Humanity

sorry for the length

Ed

[ed morini]

Sorry for not fully answering your question (senior moment). The occupancy for a dwelling will remain intack at the time of sale unless the town has a policy of property inspection (other than the FD) at the time of sale. Most BI's stay out of the sale end of a property unless they see something requiring immediate attention. In the cases I have handled, usually there was no problem with someone moving in provided they didn't gut the place. Some level of habitability has to be preserved. To be honest with you, with the way present codes are structured, you would be much better do a remodel room by room. I say this because today's code ICC Existing Building Code will prevail and the amount of work that has to be performed for compliance depends on one of the three levels of reconstruction perfromed, if you hit level 3 (guttting entire structure)compliance with the IRC, Intn'l Mechanical, plumbing, elect and Enery Code (strecth code may apply here) will be required. Doing a kitchen will not cause a level three but you may have some plumbing and electrical issues. If any of the exposed framing is insufficient it will have to addressed, any new work will have to comply with 2009 IRC prescriptively or a structural engineer can desig what you need. I f you have other specific questions give me a buzz pm me for #

[Raven]

is why i asked

that have around 10 to 80 acres
usually an old barn (desired)
and some sort of garage
or work area....

some are Vintage 1850 houses...
been there done that... not again!

some allot newer than that...
but sometimes the atmosphere is way
to compelling and you start thinking about it.

I like projects but not servitude to a lost cause.