You likely won’t know your home is in violation of neighborhood or city code until you either have a home inspection to prep your home for a sale, or the city leaves a letter in our mailbox. If you don’t want to receive a fine, you have two options: fix the issue or sell your home to someone who will fix it.
Most of the time, a single coding violation isn’t enough to sell your home for. However, depending on the violation and depending on how many your home has, it could add up quickly.
Here are some of the most common coding violations in Phoenix.
Common Neighborhood Code Violations in Phoenix (Found without Inspections)
All of these common coding violations from Tennessee and Georgia that are often found without the need of a home inspection. The average homeowner would be able to remedy these violations rather easily and, if you ever get struck with one of these violations, we don’t recommend selling your home over it.
Vegetation
One of the most common violations is vegetation. Every homeowner has the responsibility to keep their property free of dead and dried vegetation. Property owners are also responsible for assuring that grass and weeds on their property and in the adjacent rights of way do not exceed six inches in height.
The average cost to fix this violation depends on the type of vegetation. The average homeowner pays about $350 for a ¼ acre yard clean-up, including leaf and debris clean-up and yard waste bagged and removed. On the high end, expect to pay $1,200 for extensive tree trimming, tree pruning, and leaf removal for a one acre lawn.
Inoperable Vehicles
Another common Tennessee and Georgia home code violation is the presence of an inoperable vehicle. These must not be visible from beyond the property. Car covers, tarps, bamboo, shades and other similar types of materials are not acceptable screening.
Vacant and Accessible Structures
This code states that property owners must secure all vacant buildings and structures. It also allows for the owner to temporarily board up the property if necessary, for a period not to exceed 180 days.
Outside Storage
Tennessee and Georgia do not allow any kind of outdoor storage in a resident’s front yard unless pre-approved. Outdoor storage of items for commercial or business use at a residential property is also not allowed.
Fences in Disrepair
In TN and GA, fences are extremely common. As such, the city requires all fences and screening walls to be structurally sound, free of damage and blight, and made from the same materials.
Junk, litter, debris
Property owners are responsible for keeping their property free of junk, litter and debris. This includes tires, junk, furniture, building and landscaping material; litter such as discarded paper, cardboard, plastics, etc.; debris such as tree trimmings and fallen tree limbs; or any other discarded items.
Coding Violations that Fail Inspections
All of these coding violations are typically found during inspections if the homeowner was previously unaware of them. Any of them can immediately fail an inspection and will cost a large sum of money to repair. If your home has these violations, it could drastically impact your ability to sell your home on the traditional market. If this happens, call Property Spot. We’ll give you a fair cash offer for your home and take it “as is,” which means you do not need to worry about repairing your home.
Homes fail inspections for a many number of reasons, including:
- Roofs need replacing
- Drainage and plumbing issues
- Faulty foundations
- Pest infestations
- Hidden mold
- Failing HVAC systems
- Structural damage
- Poorly maintained
Let’s break each of those down by cost.
A severely neglected roof could cost $10,000 or more to replace.
Drainage and plumbing issues can cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to well over $3K. The cost to repair a main sewer line can run anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000, with the average cost being $3,700
Foundation repairs are expensive. The average cost is between $8,000 to $15,000, however the costs can vary greatly depending on each individual situation.
Pest control can cost upwards of $300 a month for severe infestations.
Various factors determine the cost of mold cleanup. However, the national average for mold remediation services is about $2500 for larger rooms and basements and $500 for smaller bathrooms. However, this number can be much higher depending on the damage and amount of mold found.
Replacing your HVAC system will cost you a pretty penny as well. The cost to replace/install your central air conditioner will range between $2,300-$10,000. The average cost being around $6500.
Finally, structural damage is hard to pinpoint, as it depends on where the damage is and how bad it is. However, it typically costs anywhere between $5K-$20.
Let’s Do the Math
Say you’re having your home inspected at the request of a potential buyer. The inspector comes back with bad news and a failing grade. The report? Your lawn has trees that need to be removed, your roof needs to be redone, and you really should look at replacing your HVAC system.
That’s about $1,200 for tree removal, $10,000 for your roof, and $6,554 for your HVAC, thus costing you $16,754 in repairs, not including taxes or extra contractor fees.
This may not seem like much in the grand scheme of the sale – after all, the buyer is offering $350K for your home, but it does drastically dip into your immediate savings, and your profits, and likely extends closing time by a few weeks, if not more. On top of that, the buyer may not be willing to purchase your home if they see a failed inspection, which leaves you over $15K in the hole for months while you repair your home and try to find another buyer.
Or you can leave all of that behind and sell us your home. We’ll give you a fair cash offer within 24 hours and you can walk away from the failed inspections with a smile on your face. The best part? You pick the closing date. You can close in 7 days or 6 months – whatever time you need to find a new home, you have it.
So give us a call at 423-220-4332 or visit us online! We’ll be happy to help you get out of those costly repairs.