Did you pull a permit for that?

You are touring through a nice home and are admiring the custom enclosed porch, which has been included as a part of the properties square footage. Any time a properties structure has been modified (or even a new furnace installed), make sure that the Seller has pulled the appropriate permits and has performed all necessary inspections before making an offer.

Why is this important? Let’s say a fire starts in the wiring junction box of an addition that was built without permits. In most cases, your insurance company will not cover losses to any part of the property if they are caused by the addition. Also, if a fire breaks out in the main part of the home, damages to the non-permitted addition will also likely not be covered.

When you ask, make sure they deliver the actual signed permit paperwork. As a sanity check, visit county records to make sure any additions have been properly recorded. This is a good signs that the appropriate permits have been pulled.

Scott Lukes
Founder, Echo Summit Properties
http://www.echo-summit.com/