Getting ready to sell your home? The first thing that often comes to mind is increasing the appeal and value of your home starting from decluttering, all the way to full remodels. These are absolutely grand ideas, and I will share some more tips on these in the future, but there is a crucial item that rarely makes the “to-do” list that can be even more critical.
Once you’ve decided you are going to sell, make sure to visit the local building department and assessor’s office.
Here’s why you need to take a trip downtown to do a little discovery.
The building department has the records about your house. They know when it was built, how many bedrooms and baths there are, and about any modifications that have been permitted in the structure. It is imperative that you know what they have as a matter of record. Perhaps the previous owner installed a new bathroom, and it’s not to code, or part of the record. Perhaps there’s a new outbuilding that creeps too close to a neighbor’s property. Perhaps there are open permits that initiated changes, but were never signed off by county inspectors.
If a diligent buyer investigates this before the sale is final, and discovers any number of these hassles, it could significantly deter the sale, or even cause them to pull out of escrow.
Similarly, a visit to the assessor’s office might shed some light on potential problems. They have an attributed value to your home, based on current rates, remodels, additions, location, etc. They might have your home under or over assessed. This affects the bottom line of how much you’re being taxed. It’s extremely helpful to ensure that your home has been appropriately assessed.
Once you’ve looked into the building department and the assessment, you can more accurately determine what’s next to make your house even more desireable. If you have code or permitting issues, it’s best to get them taken care of in advance. Not only will you know there are no “surprises” lurking in a closet, you can effectively budget for any additional work that might be done.
Then, you can get busy with increasing the curb appeal.