Colorado Springs Vintage Homes Blog
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Do your homework on building permits
Do your homework on Building Permits
Previous Posts
- 5 reasons lack of building permits cause big problems
- Colorado Springs Building Codes and Permits – Part I
- Colorado Springs Building Permits – Part II
- Colorado Springs Building Permits – Part III
- Colorado Springs Building Permits — Part IV
- Colorado Springs Building Permits — Part V
- 5 reasons lack of building permits cause big problems
The El Paso County Assessor’s office is one of the web sites I frequently check when I’m getting ready to write an offer for a homebuyer in the Colorado Springs Area. I like to look at the square footage, the bedrooms, the baths, the garage, and the basement information listed on the assessor’s office and compare it to t
he information on the Multiple Listing Print-out. Also, out of curiosity, I also look at the assessed value listed on the property. (I’ll write more on this later.)
You may ask, why is all of this information important? The biggest reason it is important is that discrepancies may (and I underline the word may) mean that there has been additions and improvements to the property that have not been permitted. If the assessor’s records only show 2 bathrooms, and the property has 3, it may mean there was an additional bathroom added that wasn’t permitted. If the assessor shows the basement was unfinished and the property has a finished basement, again it may mean no permits.
The next step that I do is to check the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department and see what type of permits have been done on the property. Permits are important as they ensure Read the rest of this entry »
5 reasons lack of building permits cause big problems
Building Permits are Important
I recently attended an inspection at a home in Colorado Springs for a client who lives out of state; and one of the first things the inspector said to me is that he noticed the basement had been finished without a building permit. These are not words that any Realtor wants to hear, it can definitely cause some problems and discussions with a potential buyer. Hence, I thought I’d type up my top 5 reasons that additions and basement finishes without permits can cause problems:
- There is no way for a buyer to know if an additions and basement finishes were built/refinished in accordance with local building codes when a permit wasn’t pulled; which brings up a whole host of other questions. One of the reasons the building code was enacted was to insure a minimum standard for construction, electrical, and mechanical work. When permits aren’t pulled, safety and quality of workmanship can definitely be a concern.
- The lack of building permits can often impede the sale of a property; buyer’s don’t want to purchase a property that doesn’t have permits.
- The lack of building permits can and will come up during an inspection for a potential buyer. In today’s real estate market, which is a Buyer’s Market in Colorado Springs, there are many properties for Buyer’s to choose from. The lack of permits can cause a buyer to walk away from a property they want to purchase. Read the rest of this entry »
