The past few days have been “serious time” in my home-buying process. The fantasy, mid-life crisis part takes a back seat to the reality of contracts (in French!), inspection reports (in French!) and a daily back and forth over details of the sale.
I received the federally-mandated inspections, which the seller must pay for and provide to the buyer within a week after the offer is accepted. The inspections include utilities, drains, water quality, termites, asbestos and liklihood of earthquakes. The reports sounded ominous and forboding in places, especially with regard to the gas and electric systems. The next day I received the contract, which included summaries of each of the inspections, along with Rosalind's translations. It seemed that the entire electrical system was out of date, possibly missing ground wires, which they call "earthing wires." The gas tank under the sink had an out-of-date hose, without any form of shut-off,that connected to the stove and the stove venting was improperly done. There were no termites or asbestos!
After reading and re-reading the reports, I sent Rosalind a note asking for specifics on the electrical problems. I wanted a real estimate from an electrician before I could proceed. The gas line was important too, but since only the stove uses gas from a small tank, I didn't see that as a big issue. The next morning I received a translated estimate of work from the electrician along with the pleasant news that the current owners said they would make all the modifications to the gas and electricity suggested in the reports. I was thrilled! So, at that point, with no real objections to anything else in the contract, I read and followed the instructions on how to sign each page of the contract. I did it. It went to the post office and now it is on it's way back to Duras.
This is my look of relief after giving my contract package to the postal clerk.
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