Should one buy a home that has significant renovations done to it without any permits obtained from the city?

licenced wrote: ↑ The answer is no! It is simply no!

Any other answer has zero merit! None!

This is my most recent encounter with this - less than 2 weeks ago.

Showed client a very nice renovation. The work that we are able to critique, tiling, wood floors, paint, wallpapering was done well,

The work that we knew took place but were left wanting an answer on was some electrical and plumbing not connected especially for appliances and all faucets and toilets, landscaping grading

The work we knew took place that required permits but were done without permits was removal of walls, new plumbing and electrical work.

Already knowing the currently available answer, I enquired of the agent if the property was renovated under permits, if there was an occupancy permit granted and if there are any outstanding permits. I also wanted to know if at closing they intended to complete the work

As long as I have been in this business I am still shocked to learn there are so many agents who are either wilfully ignorant or they're just being sleezeballs, Yesterday was yet another of those days but I digress. The listing dude above promotes himself as someone who is adept at finding investment properties for his clients, showing them how to renovate and make big bucks and he is well known.

His answer to me was literally, 'no nothing was done to require permits.'

So I sent him his video showing where he said walls were torn down, new plumbing and electrical was put in place and a copy of his city's by-laws.

This weekend I showed another of his which we discovered is an even worse disaster,

Moral of the story, some buyers will be dazzled by the work, taken in by the ignorance of the representatives or bamboozled by sheisters. tr

It doesn't matter how much you love the property or that you got the answer you wanted to hear, or how well known they are, don't be the one in 10 who ends up in court suing for 10s even 100s of thousands in repair costs.


If your gut is signalling something - listen to your damn gut!

snkhan wrote: ↑ Thanks for your response.

The same story with this home - the most elegant and tasteful renovations were done to the property. Everything in the house is the best of the best. I am so surprised that they did so much but obtained no permits. If permits were expensive, they could have cut down on a couple of extravagant/unnecessary upgrades and the house would have still looked amazing.

The offer was presented with the following condition "The seller agrees and warrants that all additions, repairs, upgrades and remodeling to both the interior and exterior of the property are in compliance and made in accordance with the provincial and municipal building and fire codes, by-laws, and meets the required permit and zoning requirements". Goes without saying, they did not accept it .

senasena wrote: ↑ Renovations without permits are common unfortunately.
Doing extensive renovations without permits is idiotic on so many levels, in this case it cost them one potential buyer but the list is very long.

snkhan wrote: ↑ Recently about $350k-400k worth of renovations were done to the home and it is now listed for $2m.

RichmondCA wrote: ↑ Who came up with the value of the renovations (350k-400k)?

What was done?

What is "significant"?

Are you guessing? Was it in the listing? Remember, "350k of renos" listed in the client remarks is a fudged number, you'd be lucky if it was even half that, just more half truths and shilling happening by the seller.

I've walked in flips that claim 200k in renos on the listing when I know for a fact it was 80k or so having direct knowledge of the flip. Some are even less filled with kijiji and ReStore left over materials.

Buying flips is literally the worst, almost always garbage in garbage out.

xxxray wrote: ↑ I would pass. It's not worth the hassle. ....and a basement apartment in a $2 000 000 home?

skeet50 wrote: ↑ I would draw a hard line. No permits, no offer.

Permits do not add a substantial cost to a renovation. A permit ensures that the work is up to code. Permits protect the buyer, the seller, and everyone in the community. Homes cost so much now why would anyone take the risk of buying anything without the proper permits?

licenced wrote: ↑ Extensive renovations involving the removing of walls, addition of or moving plumbing and electrical is not anything to dismiss. People buy cars demanding it pass tests yet are happy to poopoo the largest investment of thir life.

Update on that property I mentioned - it failed inspection.

teedomo88 wrote: ↑ When we reno'd our home in Oakville 5 years ago (full gut job), we got permits...and it honestly added like 3-4 months to the whole process...

It was ridiculous...waiting...and more waiting, and then waiting some more...and then changing crap that literally does not even matter just to be "code"....silly.... (example...we did glass staircase and the railing was like 6 inches short bc of "code"....well, temporarily adding a 6 inch piece of wood to the end of the railing was enough to "pass"...and then we just removed it..and the inspector was even fine with that LOL)...that in itself took 3 visits from the useless inspector and about 3 weeks of waiting...

If/when we reno again, 100% doing it without permits.