Thursday, October 23, 2008

From Other Sources

One of the good things about having a job that frequently finds you searching the Internet for a variety of reasons is that you often find things that – while they weren’t what you were looking for at the time – they were things that you would otherwise have missed.

Here’s just a sampling of some of the things I ran across this week while researching a variety of work-related topics:

  • Like this column from a Columbus Dispatch reporter whose theories on home remodeling made me laugh.
  • Then there were these 10 quick tips if you’re looking to spruce up your digs to increase its resale value. (Yeah. Right. In this economy.)
  • And how about this very interesting headache created by a remodeler’s attempt to put a hole in the wall?
  • I couldn’t help but smile when I saw this article about how to cope during the current economic crisis. Some of this stuff could have been taken straight out of one my own blog entries! *grins*
  • But probably the most interesting item I fell over was Measure 63, a ballot initiative in Oregon that would allow homeowners to do home improvement projects worth less than $35,000 without getting any building, electrical or plumbing permits.

I see both good and bad in Measure 63. And, having seen several other housebloggers who have had their own issues with permits, I’m betting that a lot of you have opinions about it, too. What do you think?

4 comments:

Jennifer said...

Hmmm... I think I'm against that initiative. I sure wouldn't want to move into a house that was MORE hacked together than the one I'm in! I want to know the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed. Colorado's pretty relaxed, though...

Unknown said...

I agree. You can do a whole lot of damage to a house for less than $35,000. Won't somebody think of the plumbing!?! :-) But electrical and structural changes aplenty could be made, too.

Why S? said...

Yeah, the 63 thing is scary. But about the hole in wall, why is it that the only things we've found were a moldy newspaper from the Kennedy assasination and several rodent skeletons? Where's my hidden treasure?

NV said...

I really do see both sides though. The measure doesn't preclude inspections for things like electrical and plumbing though. Just keeps municipalities from gouging you with extra fees.