Protecting a Vacation Home While Away

[mella l]

[:o)] stutter edited, sorry about that one too!

[mella l]

Editing out the stutter, sorry about that![:0]

[mella l]

Well some people arrange for a house sitter like moi!! [:I]

mella l

"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and wrong....because sometime in your life you will have been all of these."

[John S. Rabi]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bullwinkle

We also installed temperature sensors rather than smoke alarms for fire ...

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I believe the Hawaii Building Code requires a hard-wired smoke alarm.

Aloha,
John S. Rabi, GM,ARB,BFT,CM,CBR,FHS,PB,RB
808.989.1314
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
"The Next Level of Service!"

[DickWilson]

The 2008 National Electrical Code requires ac powered, interconnected smoke alarms with battery back-up. Purely battery powered alarms are not allowed in new construction. Additional placement requirements exist, your electrician can outline them. but for all intents and purposes, it's one per bedroom and one in the hallway between bedrooms.

dick wilson

[hpp4me]

Back to my question!

What might a house that is designed to accommodate a caretaker look like? We would need a separate unit with a kitchen, but that does not seem to be allowed by the county. Any workarounds?

[Kelena]

1) If my roof were connected to my ohana, I would put in a kitchen. My personal recollection is that if it is under the same roof, no restrictions. Do not rely on my reading or ever fading recollections. I have considered extending my roof to the ohana! My neighbors across the way put an ohana on their garage and had the garage connected to the house with a roof, or dogtrot, or covered breezeway. They never completed it, but I think that was the plan.
2) My ohana (not connected to the main house by a roof) was completed as a "workshop" with a toilet and shower. A kitchen was put in AFTER THE FACT. That kitchen was removed by the second owner. I am the third owner.
3) Caretakers are everywhere and their requirements vary. Some want to barter. Some want to be paid. Some just want a place to stay. The one I encountered just floats from gig to gig. Unpaid. She took extraordinary care of the place when it would otherwise have been unoccupied.

[Rob Tucker]

Ohanas, attached or detached, are allowed by code on residentially zoned lots greater than 10,000 SF. Detached ohanas are subject to different setback requirements than residences. When I use the word "allowed" I mean it is allowed under the code. There are obstacles to overcome... parking, setbacks and mostly a planning department which is reluctant to process Ohana Dwelling Unit Applications.

If you are on AG zoned land then forget the word ohana. All that is available on AG zone lands are worker housing and that would likely be dependent on some sort of agricultural activity.

[John S. Rabi]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Tucker

If you are on AG zoned land then forget the word ohana. All that is available on AG zone lands are worker housing and that would likely be dependent on some sort of agricultural activity

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It requires you to do a drawing of a map showing every single plant/tree connected to the agricultural activity on the property. You have to go to the Planning Department FIRST for approval. They will go out to your property to check it. If the "Agricultural Dwelling" is approved than you start the regular process with the Building Department.

Aloha,
John S. Rabi, GM,ARB,BFT,CM,CBR,FHS,PB,RB
808.989.1314
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
"The Next Level of Service!"

[StillHope]

This zoning is strange.The houses are being sold as a residential properties,not the farm houses.