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Please explain. This confuses me. If a homeowner has finished a bonus room, and it looks like a completed part of the home, and the homeowner tells the agent, "We have blah blah blah and a bonus room," why wouldn't the agent just list that bonus room on the listing?
Do agents ask specific questions about when parts of the house were completed before he or she lists a house?
If not, then why wouldn't the owner be able to count the room as square footage when they sell it?
(I understand the need to get a permit for all work done, but I don't understand why it should affect counting it in square footage or the real-life possibility that it would be an issue.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stu Barnes
get a permit.....for all work. You will not be able to count the room as square footage when you sell in future if there is not permit for it.
Please explain. This confuses me. If a homeowner has finished a bonus room, and it looks like a completed part of the home, and the homeowner tells the agent, "We have blah blah blah and a bonus room," why wouldn't the agent just list that bonus room on the listing?
Do agents ask specific questions about when parts of the house were completed before he or she lists a house?
If not, then why wouldn't the owner be able to count the room as square footage when they sell it?
(I understand the need to get a permit for all work done, but I don't understand why it should affect counting it in square footage or the real-life possibility that it would be an issue.)
When a Realtor lists a home in MLS, that Realtor is responsible for everything that is put into MLS.
It isn't as simple as just posting these things. Sq. footage must be verified. The hvac system has to be correctly listed. The HOA dues must be verified. Schools must be verified.
So, that agent must check to make sure the square footage is correct and not go by what the homeowner thinks.
The agent must also check to make sure things like the hot water heat is gas or electric. You'd be amazed at how many homeowners don't know.
The agent is RESPONSIBLE for the information. So...if a room has not been permitted, how do you know if it has been done correctly? How do you know if it is up to code? The only way to know is to make sure a permit has been pulled. If a permit has not been pulled, according to MLS rules, the agent may not list it.
Wake County website tells you if the permit was pulled. If not, before an Agent can list that sq. footage (according to MLS), the permit must be gotten. Yes, this can be done afterwards.
Realtors are responsible for more than the seller, sometimes!
If a homeowner is selling FSBO, they then take on the liability.
Where on the Wake website does it tell you if a job was permitted? I know the previous owners of my home had the bonus room finished before we bought it, but I don't know whether the work was permitted. I also don't know if they did the electric and HVAC or if that was roughed in by the builder and they just had sheetrock done.
I've tried to figure it out on the Wake website before, but didn't know what to look for. Would love to know and have an idea of how much a permit will cost me if it wasn't permitted, before I call and ask questions of people who will make me pay up immediately.
Where on the Wake website does it tell you if a job was permitted? I know the previous owners of my home had the bonus room finished before we bought it, but I don't know whether the work was permitted. I also don't know if they did the electric and HVAC or if that was roughed in by the builder and they just had sheetrock done.
I've tried to figure it out on the Wake website before, but didn't know what to look for. Would love to know and have an idea of how much a permit will cost me if it wasn't permitted, before I call and ask questions of people who will make me pay up immediately.
Real Estate Search
Put in your address or name and pull up your property account.
In the center of the row of buttons, above your information, click "NOTES."
If the permit was noted to the Revenue Department, it should show there.
You can call them and ask what the permit was for, or what any abbreviations mean.
But, I don't think it is foolproof. I am not sure that ALL permits are entered there.
If you are in the town of Fuquay Varina, the permits and inspections folks should be able to pull it up by your address.
If it is a bonus room, I would suppose $200-$275 for permits, and of course, additional $$$ as needed for any work to remediate any citations on inspections.
Would anyone like to refer someone they've used for hanging drywall? It's not something I'd be able to do on my own, but I do plan on doing the painting, floor & trim on my own. Would love to hear feedback. Thanks!
We used Graybill drywall, husband and wife team (Darryl & Janet) to drywall the bonus room we built out last May. They were excellent, on time, good prices and good communication. Insured as well. They were located in Clayton....don't have their number off hand, but they're on Google.
What's the rule on when you need a permit and when you don't? We are getting ready to finish our 3rd floor. Electrical and HVAC were roughed by the builder. We were told that we didn't need a permit since it was under-roof, there would be no structural changes and there was no need for inspection to get certificate of occupancy...is this not true?
True or not depends on the town you live in and can the neighbors keep a secret.
Having done a lot of this myself I strongly suggest you have someone professional do the drywall, tape and plaster. They will have it done quickly and it will look good. If you do it yourself it will be 3/8" board; professionals use 1/2" which is much better. Flooring is also best left to the pros. They are just so much faster than us DIY guys.
Pros may need to see a permit, however. The best is to talk to a neighbor who has had work done.
Where on the Wake website does it tell you if a job was permitted? <>
I think if you look at the building description on the wakegov.com site it describes the rooms. I think that is what the codes are.
Here is the Wake ruling on permits: WakeGOV.com - When Permits Are Required Guide
FWIW, we replaced an aging garage door (wooden) with a new door with a decent rvalue because my DH likes to woodwork in the garage and was tired of freezing in the winter. It was pricey, but we bit the bullet to replace it.
This had unexpected good effects on efforts to cool and heat our bonus room over the garage. Wish we had done it years ago. I think the new door has paid for itself! So if the wind whistles through your garage, perhaps paying attention to weather stripping, new door?, etc might pay off too.
Also, you can make sure that you have good insulation coverage on the ceiling from the attic. Worth the few minutes to check b/c sometimes things get moved around by workers, etc over the years.
In regards to listing agent liability, I don't think it would be unlawful for them to make a mistake on the listing. Any problems will come up during the home inspection and appraisal process. It's in the best interest of the listing agent to get it all correct so there are no problems later which cause buyers to back out!
One place people often don't insulate when finishing the room about the garage is the kneewalls. Kneewalls are the half-walls formed when you're making a bonus room under a sloped roof. Appropriate sealing and insulation makes an enormous difference.
My husband and I own an energy auditing and weatherization company and I can't tell you how many kneewalls we've sealed and insulated that the original builder didn't bother with. Lots of times beyond the drywall kneewalls are just open to the attic. If you have an existing bonus room that's uncomfortable that should be one of the first places you look.
Good luck!
A
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