I started in the construction trades when I was very young. Fourteen years old. I learned the old school way, by apprenticeship. I had the good fortune to work alongside and be trained by real craftsman. I owned my own construction company for almost 10 years. One of the biggest reasons I hung up my tools in 1991, was I was so burned out, especially during boom times like we are experiencing now, getting calls from people and going behind the “professionals’ and either fixing or tearing out and replacing all the bad work I came across.

I showed a property last weekend to some first time home buyers. Both of their families were also in construction. The seller was asking a great deal for this property. The “finish work” was to be completed by closing. Even someone with very bad eye sight could see the reprehensible work that was being done on this place. I called and asked if we were to put in an offer, could we ask the sellers to have whom ever was doing this “finish work” to stop, or ask them to hire someone to start over and do it properly. When one sees the lack of care and quality in the finish work of a remodel, one has to wonder what the rest of the work not seen looks like, or how it was done.

My opinion, a good agent/broker would have followed up on the progress of the remodel and directed the seller to the detrimental outcome of conveying a property like this one along with giving them sources to have the work done properly.

These photos are from a cell phone but they get the point across.