I'm not going by the earlier photos, John. I'm going by the corrected ones and what he wrote. Now assuming the OP can differentiate the years, something doesn't add up. You can't straighten it out, as you have no more information than I do. Only the OP can clarify the situation.
BTW, somebody else mentioned the odd location of the pulls. It really is weird, right on the edge of that bevel.
R
I didn't import it, I just clicked on the picture and it bumped up to its native resolution. At that size you can see stuff. Check out the miter on the cabinet base door on the lower left.
I guess that's one of the benefits of him posting those big ass pictures. ;)
R
Correct. I bought the unit a year ago and these photos were taken at that time:
Again, here are the new photos:
OK, thanks everyone for responding. I really appreciate your comments and suggestions.I will try to approach the seller for a warranty since he had renovated the kitchen before I bought the appartment.
Apart from joints coming apart, the doors don't shut properly (as if the wood was bended somehow) - there is a gap in the lower part, while the upper part seems to be aligned correctly. Here is a picture which shows that:
Lukasz
Where did you get the idea that an owner warranties a house he's sold? If it was a latent and concealed condition, not picked up during the inspection (you did have it inspected, didn't you?), and the owner knowingly concealed that information, then you'd have a case. But this was a readily visible problem, so you don't.
If the refrigerator had died, the sink started rusting through, or something similar, would you expect the previous owner to pay to fix it? There are new home warranties, but used homes don't have one unless you pay for it. I'm assuming you didn't or you wouldn't be looking to the previous owner.
As others here have pointed out, your cabinets were doomed from the start due to their construction. A good home inspector would have noticed those gaps and pointed out the problem. The gaps are clearly visible in the pictures from a year ago, so it would have been pretty hard for the inspector to miss the gaps seeing them in person. So either your home inspector wasn't very good, or you didn't get an inspection.
In any event, you have just bought yourself a learning experience. You can try shaking a tree to see if anything will fall, but you really don't have a case. My advice would be to start investigating the cost to replace the cabinet doors. You'll need to have that information/estimate even if someone does, miraculously, decide that they owe you something.
Here's a link to give you some idea of a cabinet door cost. make sure that you factor in delivery, and finishing.
Another thing I just noticed in this picture:
Not the owner, but the manufacturer if there is still a warranty. Prior to selling me the apartment he renovated the whole kitchen, and yes the place was inspected. As I said, at that time joints weren't falling apart and the wood was not bended (all doors shut properly). As someone already pointed out it is the manufacturer's fault.
No, I don't know what you mean.
Manufacturer is a euphemism. They were built by a carpenter. If you're saying that it's the builders fault, maybe yes, maybe no. What's your opinion on the situation if the owner directed the carpenter to build the cabinets fast and cheap? Is the carpenter still responsible? It's not as cut and dried as you seem to think. I'm also not sure why you would assume that the warranty is transferable, but since I don't know where you are and what your state's laws are in that respect I can't comment.
It's not a small job, nor expense, to replace all of the doors and regardless of what your state's laws indicate, I doubt the original carpenter will rollover willingly. I think you have an uphill battle on your hands if you decide to sue, but it's your time and money.
Spaces between cabinet doors that are just blanked off - no access. It's a sign of fudging to make standard sized cabinets fit. As standard manufactured cabinets come in 3" increments, there's no reason to have a filler piece larger than 1 1/2". You have filler strips that are substantially larger than that.
As the buyer it's up to you to verify the quality and condition of what you are buying. You noticed the gaps when you bought the place. Have you ever seen cabinets anywhere else with gaps in the corners before? They're very rare as most all kitchen cabinets are built correctly, with tried and true methods, except for DIY cabinets. As far as the inspection, if you didn't realize what those gaps indicated, your inspector should have. A large manufacturer will have a warranty policy in place and indicate whether it is transferrable or not. A small time outfit, like the guy who built your cabinets, won't have any such policy, will have no warranty reserve fund, and as far as he's concerned you'll be a Johhny-come-lately trying to steal his profits.
I'm not trying to bust your chops, I'm just pointing out a few things. You asked for professional opinions, and that's what you're getting. I'm not a cheering section - I just call them as I see them.
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