Did you know that universal building codes change over time? This means that the codes established by your city, municipality, and even your homeowner’s association can change every few years. If you’re not updated on the latest property codes that cover your property, you may unknowingly have a house that’s not up to code.
Having a home in South Carolina with code violations can be difficult, especially if you plan on selling your property. Depending on what the code violation is, you may or may not be allowed to sell your property even with code violations. Here are your options for what to do with your home in SC if it has code violations and you want to sell.
Fix The Code Violations
One option is to get the violations out of the way by addressing it before listing your property on the market. Having code violations can result in deterred buyers, delayed inspections, and leverage for buyers to negotiate a lower price on the property. If you want to avoid these inconveniences, a good option is to simply make sure your house is up to code before it’s listed on the real estate market.
To find out your code violations, you have several options. First, hire a real estate agent that knows the area or neighborhood your property is in. An experienced agent should know the code violations or, alternatively, how to best go about selling a house that has violations. You can also contact a local home inspector or your local building department to have a professional take a look at your property.
By fixing the violations, you remove the need to deal with these violations with any potential buyer that inspects the property. However, an obvious disadvantage to this is that you may have to spend your own money for these repairs before you list your property.
Disclose The Code Violations
For those who don’t want to spend on addressing the code violations, another option is to keep the code violations and sell the home as-is. However, keep in mind that the South Carolina Residential Property Condition Disclosure Act requires you to disclose all code violations and any damage to the property buyers should know about. This includes:
- Sewage
- Structural components
- HVAC
- Electrical systems
- Plumbing
- Pest control
- HOA codes
- Hazardous materials
If you try to hide any of these code violations, not only can your buyers file a lawsuit for misleading or false claims, but they’re bound to find out anyway. Since many buyers on the market take out mortgages or home loans to purchase property, they’re required to have an inspector take a look at your home. Trying to hide the issues of your home can only lead to delays or time wasted.
Of course, expect that buyers will not be willing to pay market value for homes with code violations. In this case, it’s best to work with a real estate agent that can work in your favor to negotiate the best price for your property. However, keep in mind that agents can charge up to 6% in commissions.
Sell To A Professional Home Buyer!
If you want to sell your home fast and for the best price, your best option is to sell to a professional home buyer like Sell My House Fast – GSAP. We buy houses in Anderson, SC as-is and can give you a fair price on your property compared to listing your property on the market and waiting for a buyer to match the offer.
Our homebuying process is fairly straightforward: schedule a property viewing with us and, after we see your home, expect an offer from us within the next 24 hours. After you accept, it can take as little as 14 days to close. We pay you with cash, so we don’t have to have to undergo the inspection processes required by mortgage banks to close the deal on your home.
Interested? Contact Us Today To Learn More!
Homes in SC with code violations can be difficult to sell on the real estate market. But with professional home buyers like Sell My House Fast – GSAP, we can help you sell your home faster and for a fair price.
Contact us today to schedule a property viewing and receive a fair no-obligation offer.