Expired Permits Hillsborough | 3 Reasons Home Sellers Want to Check for Expired Permits

Expired Permits Hillsborough | Having an expired construction permit is more common than you may think. Construction permits are typically opened when you are renovating or remodeling your home or property. There are a number of reasons that a permit may have been left to expire, ranging from shoddy or incomplete work to a clerical error. Regardless the reason, an expired permit can cause unwanted headaches when trying to sell your home. Here are a few reasons you want to check on any expired permits before listing your home for sale.

Hold Up the Sale

The primary reason a seller should check for an expired permit is because they can hold up the sale of their home. If a home inspection is initiated by the seller or buyer, it is likely that they will research any previous permits. The expired permit will stop the sale and it will be up to the seller to rectify the situation before a sale can occur. This will cost the seller money and possibly the loss of a potential buyer.

 

Potentially Lower “Listable” Square Footage

If you added additional living space, such as a basement remodel or attic renovation, you cannot list the additional space if the proper permits were not followed. This means that the extra 500 square feet of living area you added by remodeling your basement will not count toward your overall square footage listing. This could cost you money in the sale price unless you deal with the expired permit.

 

Cost You More Money & Stress

If you do not find out about an expired permit until the buyer initiates a home inspection, you will be rushed to fix the situation. If this is the case, you will likely spend more money because you will not have adequate time to research the situation and come up with the most cost-effective solution. You will likely do whatever it takes to fix the situation quickly so that the sale will still go through. This could mean spending more money than you need to.

 

If you find that you do have an expired permit, you should call the professionals at Beryl Engineering & Inspection. They will work with you to get your expired permit(s) closed so that you can move on with the sale of your home.