Darien CT Home Renovations – Building Permits Save You Money.
Posted by 
Al Filippone Associates on Tuesday, April 28, 2009
During these tough economic times, it’s tempting to cut corners when renovating or updating your home in order to save money. You may think a good way to save is to side step the town permits and inspections. The permits are a cost and there is also the potential rise in your taxes.
But please heed my advice… take out all necessary permits and complete all necessary inspections. It will very likely come back to haunt you if you don’t!
As a realtor, I’ve seen it happen time and time again. You go to sell your home and during the process, the lack of a permit or C.O. (certificate of occupancy) is revealed. It doesn’t matter if you had the work done or a past homeowner. That finished basement, additional bathroom, or expanded kitchen has opened a can of worms.
What to do, what to do…
If the issue hasn’t scared the buyer away, (and at times it does) then the ordeal to remedy the problem must begin. Without the appropriate permits and C.O., you (or the new owners) are leaving yourself open to possible insurance coverage issues or worse if the work wasn’t done properly. And to make matters worse, the town building department (not just Darien but all towns) will not be happy and will take it out on you. What once could have been a simple series of inspections, may now become a series of hoops to jump. Some of those hoops may include removing sheet rock, appliances or cabinetry if plumbing or electrical wiring are behind them. The permit for that new powder room might have cost you $150, but the labor alone to remove and replace everything necessary for an “after the fact” inspection, could cost you three times the amount. And if the work wasn’t done to code… well you will definitely feel your wallet getting lighter.
The moral of the story is… do it right the first time.
