“If construction has been done without the necessary permits, the local government could fin d out and cite you for property code violations,” points out Bieber. “When the issue is discovered, the homeowner will have to pay fin es for the unpermitted work. If you’re the homeowner, you’re the one who has to pay, even if the prior owner was the one who did the work without clearing it with local o ffi cials. Your tax assessment could also go up once the upgrades are properly disclosed.” Further, whatever repairs, renovations, upgrades, or improvements that were made without a permit have to be inspected a ft er discovery. You will quickly see why it isn’t worth it to buy a home that has had work done without permits once the walls in your new home are ripped open to check if the wiring was done correctly, or a fir eplace or backyard pool that are against code are removed. Always check to make sure there hasn’t been any illegal work done on the home you wish to purchase. If there has, perhaps the seller can fix the problem (such as paying the fin e, having the work inspected, and then bringing it up to code). But sometimes it’s just not worth the hassle, and it’s better for you to back out and fin d something else. And keep in mind — if a previous homeowner has cut corners on permits, etc., they might have also cut corners in other areas, too, which leads us to reason 5. 5. Th e Builder Might Have Cut Corners Finding a home that will last and stay the course is important. So, you want to be sure that previous homeowners of the property you wish to purchase haven’t cut corners, meaning they’ve gone the cheap and low-quality route in several areas. “If you haven’t already, use the fin al walk-through to scrutinize 141
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