Protection, Permits, Permission and A Pick Up

As you work your way through any home renovation, there are several behind the scenes components you can’t forget about before you start flipping on light switches and tearing down walls.
 

Protection

Homeowner’s Insurance/Rental Dwelling Insurance.  If you’re out scouting possible renovation properties, make sure your preferred insurance provider is able to provide adequate coverage.  Providers will have different requirements – for example, some won’t insure a property that will remain vacant during your renovation, others may only insure a property with updated wiring (no knob and tube wiring).  Our provider, State Farm Insurance, was able to insure 711 Ohio for $604.00 which is 80% of the assessed replacement value (our estimated replacement value is $185,000 because the structure is brick).  The entire premium was due in full, day one of the coverage and started October 31, to coincide with our closing.

Permits:  Electrical & Building

Depending on where your renovation property is located, the condition of the home, or the length of time it has been vacant, you will likely need a permit to restore electrical power.  Plan for at least one month or longer because you will need to hire a licensed electrician to help you get your power turned back on.  In our case, 711 Ohio sat vacant for well over a year and the home is located within city limits, so an inspection by the City’s Bureau of Code Enforcement was necessary. 

The first step is to contact your energy provider and ask if power is able to be immediately restored to your home.   Again, if your property has been vacant for any length of time, the answer will likely be no.  We were told a meter base service inspection by a licensed electrician was required before a “cut card” to restore power could be issued.   We contracted with King Electric to help us fill out the necessary paperwork and permits (they also filed our permit with the City of Erie to provide that service inspection).  In the end, as expected, it took 32 days start to finish for our power to be restored.

Moving onto Building Permits, our renovation doesn’t require one.  After making a quick phone call to the City of Erie, I was told a Building permit wasn’t required but only because we’re not tearing down walls or putting up new ones.  Our kitchen redesign keeps the design integrity of the original kitchen and only a portion of one decorative wall will be removed.   As for the rest of the home, the bones are great and won’t require any alteration.  If we do choose to add an additional ½ bath or change the structural components of 711 Ohio, a building permit is needed.  And as a side note, a Building Permit is not needed when replacing windows or doors.

Pick Up
As a two car family, it became obvious very quickly that that mode of transportation wouldn’t cut it for very long.  Two weeks into our Renovation Reality and I traded in my Subaru Legacy for a Honda Ridgeline and loving it….