[mindslight]

FWIW the traditional path for renovations was to add "sweat equity" by doing the work yourself, slowly and without permits. You can still do this today, perhaps even more effectively than previously with Youtube videos/LLMs. Although you might need to hire more "handymen" to replace what would have been bartered labor with friends/family (tying back to the social capital concept of the article).

(I'm not trying to detract from the thrust of your comment though! I'm describing a dynamic of coping rather than sustaining)

[archonis]

The flipside is a lot of municipalities have become a lot more aggressive about enforcement, and changing regulations (especially regarding gas and electric) and manditory inspections mean that there's less that you can get away with.

[mindslight]

Mandatory inspections? Like the city insists on periodically inspecting the inside of your home?

I have no desire to deal with gas in my home, and my state exempts homeowner electrical.

I think the bigger issue is that the market doesn't really value renovation much any more - it's quite content with beige and builders' grade! And the low-effort fashions change so often you're never going to win that game on DIY timescales. So it's not so much sweat equity any more, but rather sweat comfort and convenience.

[cmiles74]

IMHO, municipalities are much more serious about these permits and, at the same time, neighbors seem even more sensitive to any kind of noise or even a visual disturbance. If your house is close to the street, good luck keeping any kind of renovation off your town's radar.