^ did you try it get any relief on the undisclosed problems issue? I've heard of people managing to sue for damages when some problem was clearly not disclosed
*ETA* oops, never mind. I missed the part about 'decided not to take legal action.'
Builders, especially amateurs, regard building inspectors with contempt, fear, and loathing. I worked on several jobs where the building inspector provided outstanding advice, told us small things that made the job better. I have experienced many times putting stuff together and at the end thinking of something that would've made it somewhat better. Not saying I let anything go that was crap, but it's amazing how often you realize there was one thing you could've done if you'd only thought of it in time. But now you can't do it because it's covered up with a bunch of other stuff.
Ideally, you become better and it goes into your subconscious memory data bank. Ideally.
Recently, one of my longest time clients bought a fixer-upper built in 1924 in Santa Clara, a tiny berg on the north end of San Jose. It's an interesting house in an interesting neighborhood. Not exactly a cul-de-sac but it's a street not at all welcoming as an occasional arterial. Incredibly quiet. And it has a paved alley. Their garage is accessible from the back alley. All it needs is a high-end sliding gate controllable by smartphone. The existing gate is ugly and a pain in the ass. It's designated a historical district. The windows were all painted shut (?!). She's got a contractor for most of the work, but windows are my gig, also going to make screens for all of them, 12 total. And bring the front and back door up to speed. She did not want to buy new windows because if she ever wants to get into that historical status thing, which apparently has some benefit, I don't understand it very well, she needs to have period correct windows ($$). And these suckers are old, but no rot. In the two bedrooms it's a triple sash thing with the outer two wooden casement, with cranks like I've never seen before. I'm going to save them, maybe sell them as steampunk.
It's a 1200 ft.² two bedroom. Don't know how this happened, but there was a bathroom for one bedroom, then another bathroom between the two bedrooms with a big funky ornate tub. They closed the connection between bedrooms, swapped in a shower for the tub and now each bedroom has its own private bath. Not common for a two bedroom house of that size.
I'm finding half assed repairs up the Wazzu, good news is I am going to get paid to fix a lot of them. Old cartridge locks that have been painted over two or three times. Just digging the paint out so you can take out the screws is a chore.
But I at least bid the job well, and this is a client I'm going to keep happy, she has given me some cool jobs, she's an interior decorator, works at a spendy furnishings store in Menlo Park. Here's a job I did in their San Francisco loft, a privacy screen, maple milled down to slightly shrimpy two by fours, about 2-3/4" x 1"-1/4.
