In the last few months, we had a few issues with people who were thinking of listing their home and did a remodeling project without permits.  DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE!

If you are doing your own remodeling, please be sure to get permits and have licensed contractors do the electrical, plumbing and HVAC work. If you are doing structural work, get an architect and any necessary engineering done in advance.

No Permit – No Financing

I felt really bad for one couple who had done an absolutely beautiful whole house remodel with high-end finishes, but they did not get building permits for any of the work. The biggest problem was that they removed several load bearing walls on the first floor of a two story home built in 1930 and installed huge ceiling beams without having the engineering done. The open-concept great-room looks absolutely fantastic and all their work looks to be done correctly, but without permits, banks will not finance it. So, their only option to sell right now would be a cash buyer which greatly reduces the pool of potential buyers, especially at a price point of $650,000. Or, they will have to go back and get permits retroactively, which is not a fun process.

No Permit – Decreases Home Value

If you are going to remodel and want it to ADD to the value if your home, please please please get permits and do it right. Unpermitted work may actually be a detriment to your home value, (depending on the scope of work done without permits — a little unpermitted work may not be an issue when you go to sell), but removing load bearing walls especially without engineering is not a good idea!

If you need help with past work done without permits, please let me know. I work directly with contractors, such as SMART Building Services who can consult with you to help you figure out if you actually needed permits and will advise how to proceed.

Consult with the Experts

Your real estate agent is the best source of information about the local community and real estate topics. Give Kim Pelham, with The Pelham Group NW a call today at 425.213.8761 to learn more about local Seattle Region areas, discuss selling your home, or tour available homes for sale.