Building Permits- Home Renovations
The modifications look great!
You say your Client and his buddy did
it?
Well I can see they are talented. I just have one question. Did they
get the proper permits and have the job inspected?
Maybe it's just me, but I seem to have run into more than my fair share
of home renovation projects lately that have the “missing permit
syndrome”.
One case I came across yesterday had a recent major renovation done.
The
tax records didn’t jive with the square footage listed in the MLS. Not
a major issue per say, renovations happen all the time.
The garage was
converted and an extra bathroom was added. They must have been inspired
by HGTV because everything looked over the top.
This was a visually
beautiful job. It looks great on the surface, but is there an underlying problem?
After talking with the listing agent, he said he “was sure the
updates had permits.
My seller did a professional job! Heck, look at the
workmanship”.
I persisted after his puffing and insisted he get
verification from his sellers.
Two hours later I get the call back. “We
have a problem”.
The Seller never pulled electrical, structural, HVAC, or plumbing
permits.
They didn’t “think” there was a need as they knew how to do it right.
So the extra 400sqft, and the beautiful bathroom, and the new cool
breeze, have a red badge of courage.
Here in
Charlotte, you can still have all of this inspected and permitted
retro.
It just takes time and extra work (if the work was done up to
code). And even if it's not up to code, it can still be fixed.
A delay of time, a potential loss of an offer (due to the delay in time) and extra work/stress
for the seller.
But what if nobody asked?
What if assumptions were common practice?
Permits and inspections are for everyone’s benefit. They are to
insure the quality of the work and safety of the occupants of the house.
You may be surprised on how many homes are infected with the missing
permit syndrome.
Some agents take the visually pleasing addition way too casually and
take many things for granted.
I recommend you make darned sure you ask
if permits and inspections were completed.
These questions should ring true for Buyer and Listing agents as well.
And for the unfortunate buyer who bypasses an agent and deals
directly with a for sale by owner property- Caveat Emptor.
Failure to note this on the NC Residential Disclosure is a big issue that puts
the Sellers (and everybody involved in the sales transaction) in
jeopardy.
Heaven forbid an electrical problem from the work causes a fire
or the plumbing causes some awful backup or costly leak.
There may be
homeowner insurance issues as well. It can also prove to be a big
problem for future buyers down the road when they go to sell the
property.
I'm sure many of you can think of other ramifications.
We all know the mantra chanted by brokers: disclosure, disclosure,
disclosure.
But how do you disclose if you don’t ask the right questions?
Ignorance is not bliss concerning the basics of building permits.
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Home
Inspectors
Although you say you don't need a home inspection by a licensed inspector because...“you know what to look for,"
what you are looking for is trouble down the road.
Protect yourself. A second opinion never hurts and it can save you a bundle.
The last thing anyone wants after they purchase a property is to be surprised by finding an
additional $10K of structural repairs that are necessary.
Inspections are vital on an AS-IS property sale, like a foreclosure.
The home's true condition, really isn't known, until after a thorough home
inspection.
A professionally licensed home inspector has the in-depth knowledge to go
through your future home with a fine toothed comb.
Using a checklist, gauges and
camera, your home inspector will give you a full report so that when you close
on the property (and become the owner), you can move in without the roof
caving in!
Home Inspections on New Property
Why? Because reports have shown time and time again, that new construction can have many problems as well.
Case in point:
We had an inspection done on a visibly beautiful new house. It was clean as a hound's tooth.
In the process of the inspection, the inspector filled the upstairs bath about
¼ full then let it drain.
When the drain was pulled, the sheet rock under the
tub downstairs exploded with a deluge.
Seems that the plumber never connected the
PVC pipe to the drain line.
The builder was red faced, apologetic, and quickly
fixed the problem.
But what if my clients had moved in and water damage was all
over their furniture?
Or, they had to deal with a hole in the ceiling, no water in the bath, and the inconveniences that this would have caused after the closing.
Folks, stuff happens. That’s why we have insurance.
And a cheap form of insurance is to have your house inspected by a licensed inspector.
When you work with us we're pretty insistent on it. What you don't see, may cost you.
But if butt naked without inspections is good for you, it’s certainly fine with the seller.
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