Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Aug 03, 2009 6:43 pm We moved into our 2yr old house a few months ago and from day dot I was a little suspicous about a few things. The guy who built the house (and sold to us) basically builds, does it up and then sells it. When he sold this house to us he then purchased the vacant block behind us. After seeing what is happening on that block behind recently the picture is all starting to become very clear. The guy is a DIY king - he did 40k worth of decking all around our house, water features, putting and chipping green, cafe blinds etc etc the list goes on. My issue is that I am concerned he has done things he shouldnt - like the gas hot water system and some electrical work around the house. The gas hot water system looks ridiculous - Its in a paved area but where it sits there is no paver just a mound of dirt with a square paver sitting on top of the mound and the system on top. The pipes all have ******* brackets to the wall which are crooked and the actually system is bracketed to the wall because the paver underneath would never be sturdy enough to keep it in one place. There is no installation sticker or gas fitters sticker on the unit and i've found with previous properties there usually is. I am aware that if he has indeed done things like this himself he would need to have declared it on the contract of sale. But I want to know if theres any way I can find out who actually did the work??? The electrical meterbox has an inspection sticker and an electrical company sticker who i'm guessing did the wiring, but that does not prove anything -work could have been done after the inspection. The gas meterbox has an inspection also but I think that is just for the install of the gas main. Any ideas where to go from here??? Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 3Aug 03, 2009 7:02 pm wouldn't a building inspection and council search highlighted any discrepancies? ’’Quondo Omni Flunkus Mortati ’’ If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy. Stila BK1 Build Thread The best place to talk about sport Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 4Aug 03, 2009 7:03 pm You do still have 4 years of building warranty. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 5Aug 03, 2009 9:15 pm Pretty sure building warranty covers the structure itself, not ******* ad-ons which they weren't responsible for?? I would have thought though that the details - i.e electrical, gas etc etc would have been organised through the builders. Maybe its worth a call to see if they can dig up a record of who did the installation of gas hws etc?? Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 6Aug 04, 2009 8:38 am One would assume he is a registered builder is he built your place and is planning on building on the vacant block. A registered builder with an unlimited license is able to carry out any work other than those that require certificate (electrical and plumming) unless he has a license in that area. The only time a builder must use registered trades is if they have a limited license or if they have a license under the project management category. I would approach council and ask for a copy of plumbing and electrical certificate and take it from there. Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 7Aug 04, 2009 4:22 pm Yes definately ask for the Plumbing works application permit from council and see what that says Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 9Aug 04, 2009 10:10 pm Minx i can without a doubt say he is not a registered builder.. He didn't build this house - * did.. but exactly how much they did and how much he has done once they finished up remains to be seen. I definitely will call the council and ask for those documents - i'm assuming its going to cost me but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 10Aug 04, 2009 11:42 pm The hot water system sounds pretty normal. Everyone I've ever seen (of gas storage) is on a concrete slab. When the pavers do the paving there is no way they will alter the height of the hot water system to suit the new lay of the soil level. They must be bracketed and they are not very fancy looking. It is common to see messy solders. Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 11Aug 10, 2009 9:03 am My inlaws bought a house, which was subject to an independant inspection. They discovered that the new bathroom did not have councill signoff, and no plumbing certificate, and the vendor was told they needed to be supplied or they would withdraw. They were eventually signed off, and the sale went ahead Adrian B Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 13Aug 11, 2009 9:46 pm borg i know it sounds ******* however i have seen large builders do the same thing. Exactly. Almost every house I've seen from my builder simply has a mound of dirt up against the wall, a concrete paver (450X450) on top and the hot water system sits on top of that. The HWS never seems to be supported very well but I guess when you fasten it to a wall it doesn't matter. Hell, most of these plumbers can't even line a toilet up straight. Re: Suspicious of previous owner's DIY jobs.. 14Aug 14, 2009 4:00 pm Mozzie Hell, most of these plumbers can't even line a toilet up straight. Installing and using Assuming the structure of your cabinetry is good then I would DIY everything as follows: - replace your counter tops entirely, - replace all drawer runners with soft close… 1 4782 Re my second point – yes exactly. 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