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I recently agreed to a contract for a duplex down in Chicago. Just had it inspected and my inspector came up with three code violations as well as a rusty furnace and a rotting subfloor in the bathroom.
Code violations:
1. Bottom level is a garden level. There are two bedrooms. Both bedrooms have glass block and no window exit. There is a door to the outside from that floor but nothing from the bedrooms. If these rooms were not bedrooms it would be in compliance. We will not be using this as a bedroom but it will affect resale value.
2. furnace is located in a closet in one of the bottom level bedrooms. From what I understand this is a safety hazard and a violation of Chicago code. I can probably move the location of the door to outside the bedroom for $1000 or so.
3. Kitchen island has no outlet. Another code violation. island has no water or anything. Doesn't bother me but its code.
My attorney is telling me to just focus on the furnace getting fixed and the bathroom floor. He says that code violations are everywhere and that I shouldn't expect to be free of them.
I am wondering if I should hold my ground or if I am asking too much.
I recently agreed to a contract for a duplex down in Chicago. Just had it inspected and my inspector came up with three code violations as well as a rusty furnace and a rotting subfloor in the bathroom.
Code violations:
1. Bottom level is a garden level. There are two bedrooms. Both bedrooms have glass block and no window exit. There is a door to the outside from that floor but nothing from the bedrooms. If these rooms were not bedrooms it would be in compliance. We will not be using this as a bedroom but it will affect resale value.
2. furnace is located in a closet in one of the bottom level bedrooms. From what I understand this is a safety hazard and a violation of Chicago code. I can probably move the location of the door to outside the bedroom for $1000 or so.
3. Kitchen island has no outlet. Another code violation. island has no water or anything. Doesn't bother me but its code.
My attorney is telling me to just focus on the furnace getting fixed and the bathroom floor. He says that code violations are everywhere and that I shouldn't expect to be free of them.
I am wondering if I should hold my ground or if I am asking too much.
Really? I don't know, code violations would not be something I'd want to mess with. Are you planning on renting it out? Were those bedrooms included in the total bedroom count in the listing?
Wonder why it's mandatory to have an outlet on the island.
A thousand bucks to fix the furnace issue is nothing to sneeze at.
I think that your agent / attorney are 100% CORRECT. These are VERY VERY VERY common "violations" and nothing to kill a deal over.
Technically I think you can replace enough of the wall / door with a grate / louver to address the furnace thing, unless the distance between the furnace and "combustible surfaces" is the issue and not make-up air, but even if you had a to move some drywall to get a bigger "fire rated" area around the furnace that WILL NOT cost $1000 or provide access to the furnace from other than a bedroom this is a crazy high estimate. More like a couple of hundred.
The island plug thing has burned my sellers before. It is literally against code because of TRIP hazard -- worst case you have a turkey or some other hot greasy heavy hunk of meat on the island and some toddler snags a cord stretched to the island for a carving knife or Fry Daddy and the next thing you know the kids ends up looking like something from a horror movie / needs trip to ER... Might be easy to fix by snaking a wire up from the basement, maybe under $200 even at "union electrician" rates...
The glass blocks are a funny thing. I know the code is designed to allow firefighters access to the bedrooms should a rescue be needed. That said LOTS of properties in Chicago have the exact setup as your place to keep the bad guys from busting in. To really have legal windows in a basement you need a BIG window. And then in the City you kinda need BIG burglar bars with the approved type of safety releases. Probably also some kind of safe privacy/shatter-resistant glass/Lexan as well as good quality window treatments. Not crazy expensive for one or two windows and a TOTAL non-issue if you are not planning on using these rooms as bedrooms, so I would just remember that if down the road you want to be a "cross your t's and dot your i's" landlord you should address this...
If the "rust" on the furnace is simply surface rust due to high moisture (which is common in basement / garden level units...) there is nothing to really do. If there is a question of the rust actually affecting FUNCTION or SAFETY of furnace I would have People's Gas verify safety. They don't allow anyone to cut corners. My hunch is this too is a non-issue.
Finally, in my mind the BIGGEST thing is what you seem least fazed by -- rotted bathroom floor. If this is indicative of a persistent leak in the toilet or bathtub this is the kind of thing that leads to a headaches. You could easily end up needing to rip off the whole floor in the bath and adjacent areas. All the tile and fixtures might need to be redone. If the leak is "active" and due to bad pipes the costs can really soar. Now maybe this is just a simple case of a handful of "overflows" but either way you ought to focus on getting a better estimate of what is going on.
I would recommend that you get the more detailed estimated ASAP. Then present the estimate to the seller. Ideally they will credit you the amount of the estimate and then you can handle the repairs on your own.
LISTEN TO THE PROFESSIONALS that are looking out for your interests!!!
My attorney is telling me to just focus on the furnace getting fixed and the bathroom floor. ...
He says that code violations are everywhere and that I shouldn't expect to be free of them.
Creating egress windows for the bedrooms will quickly pay for themselves .
The problem with this house is that these violations are only what can be seen.
If they are the limit of them (not likely) then many before you have bought homes with far more
serious problems and some at prices that actually reflected the work needed.
The problem with this deal is that there is no reason for a qualified buyer to settle in this market.
There are just too many other choices out there.
Find one of them.
I think that your agent / attorney are 100% CORRECT. These are VERY VERY VERY common "violations" and nothing to kill a deal over.
If the "rust" on the furnace is simply surface rust due to high moisture (which is common in basement / garden level units...) there is nothing to really do. If there is a question of the rust actually affecting FUNCTION or SAFETY of furnace I would have People's Gas verify safety. They don't allow anyone to cut corners. My hunch is this too is a non-issue.
Finally, in my mind the BIGGEST thing is what you seem least fazed by -- rotted bathroom floor.
I would recommend that you get the more detailed estimated ASAP. Then present the estimate to the seller. Ideally they will credit you the amount of the estimate and then you can handle the repairs on your own.
LISTEN TO THE PROFESSIONALS that are looking out for your interests!!!
Thank you for the advice. It makes me feel better to know that this is quite common.
The $1000 to seal off the furnace was just my guess. If its much cheaper to solve that would be good.
The rust on the furnace is being caused by a leaky humidifier on top of it. I am asking that a professional furnace guy evaluate it.
I am fazed by the bathroom. At this point my insistance is that they get a qualified expert to evaluate it. I suspect he is going to say that the tile needs to be ripped out and that the subfloor needs to be replaced. I am going to insist that they do that before close.
The problem with this deal is that there is no reason for a qualified buyer to settle in this market.
There are just too many other choices out there.
Find one of them.
hth
This is a hard deal to evaluate. My price per square foot is way below neighborhood values. I am paying 300K and that is about $136 per square foot. I think the average in this neighborhood or zip is about $250.
Almost all other duplex down go for 400K or over. Of course those have properly finished garden levels. Mine has 6'10" ceilings and glass block windows. My house is a tough deal to evaluate because there is nothing if similar size in the neighborhood at this price.
The upper floor is easily comparable to a standard 2 bed-2bath 2nd level of a three flat. It is almost the exact same thing. Similar listings to my upper floor are in the high 200's. I think if my place were sold as top level only 2bed-2bath it would get 250K easily. So I look at it as I am paying 50K for the downstairs.
My situation is unique because I want a nice living space (upstairs) and cheap workspace (downstairs). So its sort of perfect. However it might be tough to find a buyer in the future and I might be seller's only option. Not sure they are telling the truth or not but they have led me to believe that there was some interest besides me.
I am paying $300K and that is about $136 per square foot.
At $300K and $136/sf a house should need NOTHING done at all.
It should be perfect.
Accepting less is a foolish waste of money.
---
If $300K and $136/sf is fair in that market (another question entirely)...
then make your contract contingent on the sellers completely repairing their property.
Then spell out what YOUR satisfaction would require.
At $300K and $136/sf a house should need NOTHING done at all.
It should be perfect.
Accepting less is a foolish waste of money.
---
If $300K and $136/sf is fair in that market (another question entirely)...
then make your contract contingent on the sellers completely repairing their property.
Then spell out what YOUR satisfaction would require.
hth
Not sure if I was clear. $136 per square foot is very low. According to Trulia the average in this zip is $244. Its in a good area in the city of Chicago. Its not NYC but its definitely not cheap.
Right now I am demanding that the furnace and bathroom are professionally inspected. My attorney is telling me to take care of those items first.
I recently agreed to a contract for a duplex down in Chicago. Just had it inspected and my inspector came up with three code violations as well as a rusty furnace and a rotting subfloor in the bathroom.
Code violations:
1. Bottom level is a garden level. There are two bedrooms. Both bedrooms have glass block and no window exit. There is a door to the outside from that floor but nothing from the bedrooms. If these rooms were not bedrooms it would be in compliance. We will not be using this as a bedroom but it will affect resale value.
2. furnace is located in a closet in one of the bottom level bedrooms. From what I understand this is a safety hazard and a violation of Chicago code. I can probably move the location of the door to outside the bedroom for $1000 or so.
3. Kitchen island has no outlet. Another code violation. island has no water or anything. Doesn't bother me but its code.
My attorney is telling me to just focus on the furnace getting fixed and the bathroom floor. He says that code violations are everywhere and that I shouldn't expect to be free of them.
I am wondering if I should hold my ground or if I am asking too much.
Part of this depends on the value of the property vs what you are paying. If you were to make all the needed repairs is it still a good deal after you put money into it? The glass block windows and needing the furnace moved decreases the value, so is it priced accordingly?
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