Time for some fun.
The Money Pit Trailer – Directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Tom Hanks, Alexander Godunov, Joe Mantegna, Philip Bosco, Josh Mostel. After being evicted from their Manhattan apartment, a couple buy what looks like the home of their dreams – only to find themselves saddled with a bank-account-draining nightmare. Struggling to keep their relationship together as their rambling mansion falls to pieces around them, the two watch in hilarious horror as everything – including the kitchen sink, disappears into the Money Pit.
Horray for building codes!!!
Here is a colossal waste. A whole community of Money Pits.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130426/ARTICLE/130429705
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It’s so wonderful that the local government was right there with their building codes in place and inspecting construction every step of the way to make certain that homes are of good quality.
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What’s really sad is that the Tom Hanks movie is closer to reality than to farcical fantasy.
Just a few lowlights.
Problems at the 272-unit town home community came to light last summer, when residents began complaining about water intrusion from balconies, which led to severe mold problems and corroded walls, ceilings and floors.
Inspections ordered by Manatee County building officials have also revealed rotten wood, boards that were never nailed down and missing hurricane straps, records show.
More than two dozen homes were ultimately deemed unsafe by the county. Public health officials even urged Willowbrook residents to seek medical attention.
…
KB Home deposited $2 million in an initial escrow account. Although company officials declined to elaborate on the costs incurred thus far, homeowners estimate it is likely much higher than the $2 million KB Home first thought would get the job done.
With 51 buildings to fix, residents are also concerned with the timeline of the work, which they say has been much slower than originally proposed. Many still want KB Home to buy back their property for the full purchase price.
“The repairs will take several years at the rate they’re going,” said Andy Smith, a Willowbrook homeowner. “We still have to live in these conditions. It’s just unbelievable. They tried to make it just a balcony issue, but the damages are far worse than KB expected.”
If there ever was a more obvious reason to build your own house with your own hands, this is it.
You’ll know how your own house was built, and you’ll have the skills to make most necessary repairs.
Building inspectors often just pull up in front of the project, initial the inspection form and drive away. There’s no way they have time to do actual inspections in most cases (unless you’re an owner builder who challenges them on something and then look out — they’ll make your life miserable as best they can). So it’s no surprise to me that lots of houses are faulty and falling apart. It takes a LOT of time to build things correctly. Of course unethical workers will cut corners.
Still want to hire contractors to do the work for you? Then consider hiring the best private home inspector you can find to watch over the project on a regular basis. Or hire a retired builder who knows the codes and is trustworthy.
How about a Pallet Pit?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSjhjaN5zKI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN14xrnZwXw
Not as much money invested, though.
It’s amazing what people waste their time on. Think how long it takes to build the circular ramps. Then think how long it would take to get bored with going around in a circle until you’re dizzy.
Waste?
I don’t think that is fair to call that crazy stunt a waste.
Don’t get me wrong. You’ll never find me trying to ride inside that thing.
A waste of time is someone working most of their life to pay off a mortgage on a crappily built house. THAT is real waste. The few days/weeks those guys spent building their circular wall is trivial compared to a lifetime of wasted time paying off a mortgage on a junky house.
You and I may not agree with the recreational choices those guys engage in, but I take my hat off to their efforts. They took a waste product and built a place where they could entertain themselves and their friends. They weren’t harming anyone but themselves, and then only harmed themselves if they had an accident inside the thing.
A waste of time is jumping through hoops and filling out forms to satisfy government bureaucrats to get a building permit.
A waste of time is trying to make sense of the constantly changing and often self conflicting literary tome that is the International Building Code.
Is building a child’s playground a waste of time?
Is building a community bandstand in the local park a waste of time?
Those structures have no real purpose other than entertainment, but almost nobody would consider them a waste of time.
Building a big circular wall, so that a group of guys can have some fun may not be the safest or the most culturally productive activity, but as a time waster, it’s rather trivial.
Would you rather those guys be trying motorcycle stunts on city streets putting others at risk?
I applaud them. I shake my head and wonder if they are crazy, but I applaud their ingenuity, their hard work, and their success at building their dream, even if their dream is radically different from mine.
Or….it could be called…Driven Into Bankruptsy And Driven Insane.
Ha ha. Behind the humor though there are some good points to think about.