Is it even possible to sell a house that isn’t up to code?
This is one of the most frequent questions we get at Gold Leaf Home Buyers, “Can I sell my house if its not up to code?”. Often times when living in a house for 10-20 years after a fair share of home improvement projects both DIY and by hired handyman you can end up in a position where your house does not meet code requirements.
Can you still sell a house in this situation? The short answer is YES, the longer answer is it will take some work. Below are some of the most common issues that prevent Florida houses from being up to code.
1. Non-conforming bedrooms ( No windows in your bedroom )
More often than not we see this scenario with older houses before there was ever code enforcement on such a thing. It was very common to turn garages into a 4th bedroom in a lot of homes and as a way to budget, the remodel homeowners would skip building in a window. Turning a garage or attic into an extra bedroom is fine but the one requirement almost every state has is that it must have an egress window large enough for an adult to fit through. Most counties have a minimum required size of 20×24.
2. Up to code electric wiring
Most counties in Florida allow you to do your own electrical work in your home as long as it passes inspection. Navigating what passes and what does not can be very complex and hard to manage without prior knowledge. Some typical overseen code violations include wiring switches without a neutral wire, making electrical connections outside of a junction box and not installing enough receptacles.
To make matters more complex some of these requirements and codes apply to specific rooms while others apply to the entire house. Luckily some older houses are exempt from certain wiring codes as long as it is safe.
3. Bad bathroom ventilation
When handling your bathroom remodel this is another typical mistake homeowners tend to make. Bathrooms are wet, smelly places that often are closed-in and unventilated this can be a huge problem that can create hazardous mold and mildew if not handled correctly. This is where bathroom ventilation code comes into play ensuring necessary distance to route air outside correctly and not just back into the house.
4. Deck stability issues
Adding a deck can be the first big item on a lot of home improvement lists and a highly desired addon. This tends to be a project a lot of homeowners like to undertake themselves and also happens to be one code requirement a lot of counties can be sticklers on. Some of the most common code violations with deck include lack of flashing, improper rail attachments, and using nails instead of bolts to attach the deck to the house or base.
Selling a house without fixing the code violations
Ultimately in order to go through the normal process of selling your home if its not up to code means paying a professional to fix all the code violations and paying an inspector to make sure the work is actually done correctly. The exception to this rule is to go through a cash for home buying company such as Gold Leaf Home Buyers, we buy houses completely as is for cash. This means you will save out of pocket money for all the repairs and save time by not going through the traditional listing process.
If you want to learn more about our home buying process click here