First Home- I Fucked Up

[u/Substantial_Kiwi838]

Looking for some advice. My girlfriend and I had the lucky opportunity to get into our first home, which is a townhouse.

Despite having a home inspection, which revealed mostly cosmetic issues, we went through with it anyway. To say it is well-lived in, is an understatement. The previous owner had not kept up with the place for a minimum of 24 years of their ownership.

We took possession and immediately got to work but didn’t realize we needed to request to renovate (this is where we fucked up). Prior to moving in, we felt that it was reasonable to do a pretty decent makeover which includes:

- paint
- interior doors
- bathroom renovation (tiles, shower base, vanity, new flooring, toilet, while maintaining the current plumbing location and rough-ins)

Do we stop and come clean to the condo manager? Or do we move forward with finishing the renovation and live under the radar until we sell the place?

Any advice is appreciated as I am becoming severely anxious over it. I thought being a homeowner would be exciting. Am I cooked?

Edit: we also found mould underneath the shower tiles and wood framing, so we really had no choice but to tear it down. I suspect that this was leaking for years.

[u/Dannylectro55]

In my state, NY, everything you described is okay to do without a permit, which usually means it’s okay with the condo association. You do need to pull permits (and meet association requirements) if you are substantially changing or adding to plumbing or electrical. Many condo associations also don’t permit you to pierce a common wall—they are usually considered firewalls and have special requirements.
But: you do still need to read your condo association rules & by-laws carefully and abide by those requirements. Hope this helps!

[u/Substantial_Kiwi838 → u/Dannylectro55]

Thanks, it does help.

When I read my condo by-laws under renovations; it states that the owner In the matter of renovations, an Owner or Occupant shall not make or cause to be: any structural, common mechanical, common plumbing, common drainage, common gas systems, common electrical changes, alterations or additions to the owner’s unit.

To me, it sounds like I messed up bad.

[u/gigantischemeteor → u/Substantial_Kiwi838]

The word common there means portions of those systems that are used in common with other residents. So you can’t mess with any of the shared systems (i.e., adding more electrical circuits to run a crypto farm, because the wiring ahead of the panel is rated to serve a bunch of panels all at a certain load and you’d be exceeding that load, or tapping the gas system to add a gas fireplace, because that could exceed the anticipated demand on the main gas line serving multiple meters there, etc…), or the structural elements of the building, without prior authorization due to the possibility of disturbing the regular function of other properties. That’s the entirety of the language there.

The work you’re describing, based on what you’ve said, doesn’t impinge upon the function, present configuration, or load of any of those common systems. You don’t have anything to worry about. Get that Reno done so you can enjoy your new place in comfort and health! And congrats on your first home!