Selling a House without Building Permits

Selling a House without Building Permits? Here in Arizona, it’s common for homes to have additions that weren’t permitted, such as an enclosed garage or patio. While people may save a few hundred dollars on building permits by making unpermitted additions, they can lose much more when they go to sell.

Let’s say a buyer and seller agree on a price of $400,000. Then, the appraiser points out that the home is only 1,500 square feet, even though it’s being advertised as 2,000. They’ll confirm this on the tax records and building permits, and they’ll find out that the new additions were unpermitted.

While these spaces will add some value, they won’t carry the same value as the rest of the home

While these spaces will add some value, they won’t carry the same value as the rest of the home. So the appraiser now says it’s only worth $375,000. The buyer may be pleased, but the seller may look for other options instead.

The best solution? Hire a contractor who knows the building permit process. Even if the work was done in the past, it can still be taken through this process and made official. However, they may call for modifications if things were built incorrectly. They can even ask for the structure to be torn down. Most of the time, though, the work is already at or above the building code standard. So you see, Selling a House without Building Permits doesn’t have to mean taking a giant loss.

If you want to get a permit for your addition or need help finding a contractor, contact me and I’ll help you find one. If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to me as well. I look forward to hearing from you soon.