When selling a house with open permits, you are required to disclose them, which might scare away potential buyers. While there’s nothing technically stopping you from putting your property on the market, it can significantly slow down the process.
Learn more about your options in this situation to make an informed decision about how best to proceed.
Why Does My House Have Open Permits?
Many types of home remodeling and construction work in the Pittsburgh area involve obtaining a permit from the local building authority. Such permits require licensed inspectors to view the work you’re doing and ensure it matches the latest building codes. If the inspectors do not sign off on the work, the permit remains open.
You can contact your building code department or search the local government’s website to see whether you have any open permits. If so, the information below is a good place to start when thinking about your next steps.
What Are the Challenges of Selling a House with Open Permits?
If potential home buyers see an open permit, they assume that some remodeling work was not completed or that it doesn’t adhere to local building codes. Such issues may concern those who don’t want to pay for major repairs after buying the house. Buyers might refuse to make an offer or may severely undercut your asking price because of concerns over repairs.
Options for Selling a Home With Open Permits
Can you sell a house with open permits, and what options do you have? You typically have three choices when trying to sell a house in this condition.
Finish the Work
To sell the house, you could close the permit. Work with the local building code department to determine what work needs to be done to fix the issue behind the open permit.
Offer a Credit to the Buyer
As part of the selling process, you could offer financial credit to any buyers. The buyer would then have some extra money to complete the work, allowing them to close the open permit.
Work With an As-Is Buyer
Working with an as-is buyer may be the fastest and easiest option. They treat every sale with dignity, regardless of the property’s condition or any open permits. They make a fast offer and often close on the home within several days.
Rely on the As-Is Home Buyers at Sell Pittsburgh Now, LLC
Can you sell a house with open permits, or should you skip the process? Even though having open permits occasionally causes title issues, it is possible to sell a house under these circumstances. However, you might find that the house won’t sell as quickly as expected in the traditional market because buyers have concerns about why a permit closure did not happen.
At Sell Pittsburgh Now, LLC, our experts purchase homes in any condition and for any reason. Whether you’re facing code violations or any other issue, call us today at (412) 275-5238 for a free offer on your house.