Tips for first-time homeowners in Philly; scarce contractor accountability

Adjusting to life as a homeowner after renting for years is no joke.

So I asked local experts for some things first-time homeowners should keep in mind, especially during their first year. More established owners have probably already learned from experience, but reminders about responsible home ownership can’t hurt.

Find out what a home inspector, housing counselors, and a first-time owner in West Philly think new homeowners should know.

Keep scrolling for that story and to learn how contractors are held accountable — or not — for construction damage, peek inside an art-gallery-esque combined condo, and see if you know where to find a white elephant in the city.

📮 If you’ve been a first-time homeowner, where did you go for advice once you took that big step? Or what did you learn on your own that you think others should know? For a chance to be featured in my newsletter, email me.

— Michaelle Bond

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Think back to your first home after moving out of your family’s home. Mine left an impression right away. The first night I spent in my Philly apartment, my bedroom door locked on its own and got stuck that way. I had to take the knob apart to get out.

You learn a lot from your first home, and that’s especially true if you’re owning for the first time.

Home ownership often takes some getting used to after years of renting, particularly if a buyer is the first person in their family to take the step. That first year can be especially challenging.

So I collected some home ownership advice from a few experienced folks to share with you. Here’s some of their guidance:

Trey Barnes, 29, who bought his first home in West Philly a year ago: “Cash reserves. Make sure you have your cash reserves.”

Amanda Garayua, housing counselor: It’s natural for new homeowners to want to show off for family and friends, “but at the end of the day, they don’t pay your bills.”

Ben Poles, home inspector: “There’s always gonna be something wrong with your house. I tell people I find stuff in new construction.”

Keep reading for more of what new homeowners should keep in mind.

In this newsletter and in our pages, we’ve described the construction destruction happening across our city of rowhouses as developers reimagine properties that are squeezed between and held up by their neighbors. You may have experienced some damage yourself or known someone who’s gone through it.

As we’ve shown, it’s not uncommon.

Philadelphia has systems in place that are supposed to prevent construction damage and punish companies for reckless work. But accountability is scarce.

Certain developers, contractors, architects, and engineers doing work in Philadelphia have been sued by neighbors or cited by the city over and over again because cracks show up in neighboring properties or those properties collapse.

One demolition contractor was sued by neighbors at seven job sites. An architect has worked on at least five…