Many of the homes in SE Portland have converted garages…. if you are buying a home with a converted garage request the seller provide or obtain a permit, if you are selling a home with a converted garage be prepared to have to get one.
This is my 2nd transaction in the last 3 months that my listing with a converted garage was required by the appraiser to have a permit as a condition to close. This is very common and expected with first time home buyers using FHA but I suspect, especially in Portland, that requiring the permit will become more common.
So what do you do if you if you already purchased a home without the permits and need to get one? In Multnomah County you start with a visit downtown where there is NO parking. You will need to draft plans in a few different versions, return to the permits department again, pay a min. of about $450 and then invite an inspector out to the home the next day to yay or nay. If you get a yay you can get the permit the same day. I’ll save nay for another day.
Word of advice? If you are going to do work on your home that is obvious to have required a permit, get the permit. Unless you plan on living in the same place long enough for the new work to look like “old” work by the time you move, play it safe. And if you are converting a garage, make sure you ATLEAST have the required insulation & wiring… those aren’t easy fixes once the place is constructed and one day you may need to sell your home. -Your Portland, Oregon Realtor, Kristie McDonald
Tags: converted garage, investors, multnomah, permits