Question:
“We’re buying a home and had it inspected. It’s an older home and there are several issues. The main one is that the electrical is not to code. Don’t they have to fix that and bring it to code?”
Answer:
A common misconception amongst homebuyers and many agents is that items must be brought to code when a home is sold. This is simply not the case.
Because building codes change over the years, imagine if all homes that were sold had to be updated to comply with each and every code change! Many homes would have to be practically rebuilt, or at least vastly updated at a huge cost.
Another mistaken belief is that “health and safety items” must be corrected to allow a sale. Also not the case.
Here’s the very short list of legally required items:
- Operative smoke detectors in all sleeping areas
- Operative carbon dioxide detectors in all sleeping areas
- Water heater strapped correctly for earthquake safety
That’s it. There are no other “point of sale” legal requirements when you sell a home in San Diego County.
