Neighbor’s Home Improvement Project Brings Down the House

Here is a prime example of Home Improvement Thing To Remember. How would you like to have your home split in half because of work being done on your neighbor’s house?

That’s exactly what is believed to have happened to the home on the left in this photo. A family was apparently sleeping inside the home before being shaken awake to find their home caving into its foundations. It is believed that the damage was caused by a remodeling project taking place at the neighbor’s house on the right.

It looks as though it is too late to save the garage for this family. A home garage storage solution would have been powerless if faced with such devastation. Fortunately, you have decided to act and organize garage before things could get this bad.

There are several important lessons to be learned from this situation.

First, be sure to check the foundations of your home regularly for signs of instability and erosion. This can easily be done by looking for cracks or signs of pulling away in the interior walls of the home. On the outside of the house, check for cracks along the base. While smaller cracks can be cosmetic they can also be the start of something much worse.

Before beginning any home improvement project you will need to know if your work will affect the foundations of your house, the plumbing, or the electricity and power. Failure to do so could cause serious damages or injuries to you and people within close proximity. Clearly you will not need to do this for simple maintenance or cosmetic improvements, however, for major projects these factors will need to be checked.

Remember to involve neighbors who live in close range. Give your neighbors a heads up about any major renovations you have planned. Let them know how your project might affect them and their property. If your neighbors are also having major home improvements completed it may be necessary to work out a schedule. Planning ahead will give both work crews the space needed to complete their work. It also ensures that both projects run smoothly and are completed without interruptions.

Neighbors may also be willing to assist with you with your projects if you offer the same courtesy. An extra hand can definitely help get the garage cleaned out faster. You may also be able to organize a community tool swap. Exchanging tools between neighbors is a great way to save money on a tool that you would have otherwise had to purchase for your project. Keep a ledger near your work table of all the tools you lend and borrow. Try to automatically return borrowed tools after using them.