Housing code violations in San Antonio

What are housing code violations?

Have you ever wondered if your house was up to code? If you’re selling a new house, there’s a good chance that it meets code standards. But if you are trying to sell an older home, then you may have to deal with code violations.

With meeting code compliance, there are municipal codes and city codes. Municipal codes are standards for buildings, structures, and properties in every city. City codes are standards of health and safety that residents need to maintain to protect the wellbeing of both the individual and the community. When a building doesn’t meet these standards, it receives a code violation. If you plan to sell your house, it’s important to understand how these housing code violations may affect your sale.

Common code violations in San Antonio

According to the Bexar County Environmental Services Department, the most common code violations in San Antonio include, but are not limited to:

• Tall weeds (12 inches and up)
• Visible trash
• Visible junk vehicles
• Waste
• Vector (disease-spreading) issues
• Blocking drainage easements
• Illegal dumping
• Failing septic systems

If you’re wondering whether you can sell a house with code violations, the answer depends on how you plan on selling your house. Before you decide on how to sell a house with code violations, you should consider how it will affect your buyer pool and whether you need to disclose these violations.

Do San Antonio sellers need to disclose housing code violations to buyers?

The requirement to provide a seller’s disclosure to the buyer varies from state to state. In San Antonio, sellers need to disclose any known information about the property they are selling. While it is not legally required to disclose any previous inspections that sellers have had done on the house, it is generally a good idea to be upfront with any known information about the house’s condition to avoid any potential future litigation from the buyer.

Can code violations reduce your buyer pool?

While you can sell a house with code violations, you may struggle to find an interested buyer. According to an article by CNBC, about 1 in 4 home buyers regret purchasing a house that needs repairs and renovations. And since many buyers will include a home inspection contingency, they may walk away from the sale upon the discovery of any major code violations. Additionally, even if the buyer is interested in your house, the lack of code compliance can make it more difficult for them to get financing for the purchase or insurance after the purchase.

Options when selling a San Antonio house with housing code violations

There are three ways to sell a house that has code violations:

1. Fix code violations before you sell.

You may decide that your best option is to make repairs to your house to meet code compliance. This could be a good idea if the local housing market is in good shape or if you are in a seller’s market, where you will have more leverage as a seller. Since repairs can quickly become expensive, you should do some calculations to get a good idea of the cost of home repair projects.

• Pro: You will be able to sell your house on the traditional market with no issues.

• Con: Repairs and renovations for housing code violations can be expensive.

2. Lower the sales price or offer seller concessions.

Based on findings from the National Association of Realtors^®, almost half of buyers who purchase new houses want to avoid making repairs and renovations. If it is too costly to get your house up to code, you could decide to lower your asking price or offer seller credits. A seller credit is a type of seller concession where the buyer is offered money from the seller upon closing, which would then be used by the buyer to foot the bill for repairs. Seller credits typically range from 2% to 5% of the purchase price.

• Pro: You can attract a wider pool of potential buyers by offering incentives and lowering your price.

• Con: You will essentially still need to pay for repairs to meet code compliance requirements.

3. Sell to an off-market home buyer.

When you sell your house to an off-market home buyer, you get to sell your house “as is,” which means you don’t have to worry about making any repairs.

• Pro: You can sell your property “as is” without needing to make repairs or updates.
• Con: You may get a lower offer on your house than if you sold on the traditional market.

How to sell your house “as is” with We Buy Ugly Houses^®

With We Buy Ugly Houses^®, you can sell a house with code violations without issue. We are direct home buyers in the business of making it simple for sellers to get an easy home sale in San Antonio. If you are selling a house that has code violations, and you do not want to take the necessary steps to sell on the traditional market, we can help. With our 3-step home-buying process, you can sometimes take your home sale from offer to closing in as little as 3 weeks, even if your house is violating municipal and city building regulations. It works like this:

1. Reach out to us: To get started, all you need to do is give us a call or contact us online. Once we’ve connected with you, one of our local property buyers can arrange a free visit to your house, where we will assess your property and answer any questions you may have.
2. Receive an offer: After our assessment, we can provide you with a no-obligation offer on your house based on our knowledge of the local market, comparable home sales, as well as other factors.
3. Reserve your closing date: If you accept our offer, we will work with you to reach an agreement on a closing date that works for your schedule. Thanks to our experience as local property buyers in San Antonio, we can close quickly, and we work with you to come to a closing schedule that works for your timeline. If you need more time, no problem—we make sure that our process is tailored to each seller to meet their individual needs.

Better yet, we don’t charge commissions, and there aren’t any hidden fees. We also pay typical closing costs. Our offers are typically discounted below market value in exchange for a fast, simple sale.

Are you ready to sell your house with code violations? Let We Buy Ugly Houses^® in San Antonio help you get the home sale you want without worrying about code compliance.

This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.