Window Advice

[Corinne]

My parents are thinking about selling their home which has one bedroom upstairs, and two downstairs. The only problem is this home is 30 years old, and back then it was OK to have basement bedrooms without windows. The code now is that a basement bedroom must have a window in it in order for the home to be listed as a three bedroom home.

They are in the process of finding someone to put two windows in.

Has anyone ever done this, and how big of a mess was it? Did it go fast, and did it look OK?

Many thanks.

Corinne

[Toller]

1) Around here, bedroom windows have to be a certain size to allow egress as well as ventilation. I am not sure how you would put egress windows in a basement. (well, at least not at a reasonable cost) 2) Realtors are big on improving the house to make it more saleable. They don't share the cost, but simply make more commission. Think about how much it will increase the value of the house compared to the expense. I suspect you would be much better off selling it as a 1 bedroom house that has 2 rooms in the basement that have been used as bedrooms.

[SQLit]

If they are just thinking about it then leave it alone. Try a couple of other realtors and see what they say. I would check to see if there was another way other than cutting the foundation. Cutting the foundations is not something that I would consider. You might be better off selling as is.

I just sold my home with a pool that was fenced. The new owners asked for me to change the fencing to meet the new code. I explained calmly that the home met the code when it was built. They purchased the home and all are happy.