In order to rent the condo, we need to get a rental permit and to have the condo inspected by the county. They had already given us the list of items that they look for in their inspections – working plumbing, electrical, heating, general cleanliness, functional windows and doors, working chimney, etc.
At the end of last week, we had two completely non-functional bathrooms. I’m now happy to announce that both bathrooms are (almost) fully functional and leak free!
We would have been finished sooner if it hadn’t been for Murphy’s Law. Chris had to install the toilet in the large bathroom three separate times. He had installed it the first time on Friday night, Saturday morning there was a leak (we thought it was the wax ring), Saturday afternoon it was re-installed, Saturday night there was another leak, Sunday afternoon we found that it was the lower flange (set in concrete) that was the source of the leak. The third time was the charm – the flange was repaired and we used a reinforced wax ring – no more leaks!
Another example of Murphy at work was the GFI outlet in the kitchen. The outlet I was changing to a GFI was in a gang box with a switch. First, while removing the old outlet, the screw holding it in the box snapped, leaving half of it stuck in the box. After finally removing the old outlet and making all the proper connections for the new switch and GFI outlet, the gang box fell apart (and every time thereafter). I had to disconnect all the wires in both the switch and GFI, open up the drywall, remove the old box, install a new box, set the conduit properly, make the connections, install them in the box, add drywall, apply drywall compound three times, sand, and paint. The end result was not pretty but it was functional!
After installing the vanities, the faucets had to be switched on the sink tops – one didn’t fit on the sink top. The plumbing connections in each bathroom were also very difficult because new vanities are different widths.
Both bathrooms are now functional and look much better than the originals!
Chris’ parents drove down on Sunday to help us at the condo – it was great having them here to help clean, pack, plumb and caulk! They helped move a lot of the additional items to the house and helped me plant some lilies, bushes, and cut down some branches today.
This afternoon was the rental inspection. The inspector was impressed with the state of the condo and said that he wished all rental inspections were that easy. We still have some small things to finish up – installing medicine cabinet, mirror, toilet paper holders, towel racks, touching up paint, etc. Our tenants move in on Saturday – having extra rental income will be so nice (those two mortgage payments were hurting!).
Stick around next week for our first pictures of the house with a new roof, windows, and gutters!
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