Starting the basement in a few weeks.

Gotta go find some mesicans to carry all the materials into the basement.

 

Suite!!

And good for you going the legal route with the permit. We did the same thing in NY when we finished our basement. Especially since we were selling the place... we didn't want any trouble at that point.

 

Yeah my Father-in-law is a lawyer and he was giving me shit for even considering doing it without a permit.

It's basic stuff. I'm just worried that my town is going to re-assess me.

 

You can count on that...



I didn't pull a permit. But I can't even imagine I'd be nailed for anything that is "against" code. Hard to fuck up a few walls, some electrical, drywall and a drop ceiling...

 

Reason I finally went and got a permit was because my father-in-law told me this story. I posted in in your basement thread. Really made me think.

 

I would have told the prospective buyer to go find another house.

lol

 

Stuff like that happens. Most people just say, "Oh it was finished when I bought the house". Lying can come back to bite you in the ass though.

When I sold my townhouse I was all proud to tell my realtor, "Yeah and put in the ad that the HVAC and water heater are new". Guess who had to call the township for permits the next day? I was lucky though. The guy just came out and gave it a look over and put his stamp on it.

 

Yeah the problem with finished walls is how do you think they're gonna know that the wiring and framing is to code.

 

It would be very easy to find out if the basement was finished before it was sold to the current owner. Too easy in fact.

 

Are you doing a drop ceiling? If so, you'd have less to worry about.


Determining framing code is pretty damn easy with a stud sensor, right? Electrical, ya, that may be tough.


If I had a prospective buyer and the person wanted it to be signed off on before I sold it, I'd tell them to fuck themselves. I've never heard of an instance where someone actually went back to get a permit and town approval well after the fact that the job was done. And expecially to sell a house. That's ghey.

 

How big is the basement? Ours was about 700-750 square feet (on the high end if you factor in the laundry room) and our taxes went up about $250/year. That was in Westchester County NY. Of course my taxes didn't go up b/c we finished the place in December and close on the sale in Feb... but that was the estimate the tax assesor gave me.

 

Finishing the basement, eh? Good luck

Looking forward to some pics when you get started

 

Same, right around 750 sq ft.

Spoke to the tax assessor yesterday and asked her my hypothetical question. . They just reassessed our development and they said they don't worry about things like this until the next assessment, which won't be for a loooong time (according to her). They just started the reassessment last year that they've got a lot of homes to do.

 

Well that's good news then.

 

Yeah, that and we're probably going to be moving out of Joisey sometime next year. No not NC, we're heading over the Delaware to PA.

 

Damn, almost had another one

 

I lived in Raleigh for 2.5 years back in the early 90s. It's nice, just too far from the babysitters, um I mean grandparents.

 

Moving in with Shawn S?

 

haha. Get them to move too

Oh and Charlotte > Raleigh

 

his part of Pennsyltucky is too far from my office.

Our newspaper's real estate section shows lots of new home construction in his area. For what I'm looking to spend in the Yardley, PA area, I could live in a 4000 sq ft house on an acre lot.

 

Yes, I’m getting surrounded by McMansions from all your NJ neighbors moving over here.
I’m only about 10-miles from the PA/NJ border.
The good part of that is the house I paid less then 175K for in 97 is worth close to 350K right now with a mortgage of less then 100K.
The downside is that our local salaries aren’t keeping up with people who drive 75+ miles to work in NJ & NY.
The locals are getting forced out of their own hometowns.

 

It's amazing that people that work in NYC live out by you. I can't imagine they have much of a life outside of communting and working.

I wish your area was closer to my job. I would definitely consider the area. It's very nice from what I remember when I was up there on business.

 

Lots of people live here and commute to NJ & NYC.
Some drive and others ride the bus for two hours each way.
There’s a “Park & Ride” bus terminal at RT412 & I78 with parking for about 100 cars.
If you drive by there during the day you’ll see about 150-200 cars parked.
Two deep, three deep, up on the grass and everything.
They’ve increased the bus runs to NYC, but haven’t added parking.

 

I know a couple of people that commute like that and frankly I don't understand it. What good is a big fancy house if you are never there to enjoy it?

 

so you're looking to spend 800k+? cus that's what gets you 4k sq ft on an acre there.

 

 

well good luck with finishing your basement.

 

zeroday, Yardley has one of the best school districts in the state of PA (Council Rock and Neshaminy). Housing market is still quite affordable. Taxes are low. Bucks County in general is an excellent place to raise a family.

Oh and it's never deleted for a Mod.

 

figured as much but now i know .

i deleted it because i wasnt trying to be a dick but decided what i posted was sure to come off that way. i've lived in SE PA my whole life and yardley has never been a 'revered' area of bucks...that's all.

 

Oh come on I had a good comment for the last sentence you deleted.