Selling a House with Unpermitted Work in Edgewood, WA

A retail buyer with a mortgage often stalls on unpermitted work. The appraiser may not count the converted garage as living space, the lender may ask questions, and the buyer’s inspector may write up the wiring in the shop. Each one can turn into a repair request, a price cut, or a buyer who walks. A direct sale skips that loop. KindKey looks at the house the way it actually is, prices the work as it stands, and does not need a lender to approve it.

That does not make the work legal, and it does not hide it. Tell KindKey what you know: what was built, roughly when, and whether the city ever sent a letter about it. If you do not know, say so. KindKey will walk the house and ask.

Edgewood is its own city in Pierce County, between Milton, Fife, Puyallup, and Sumner. A house with an Edgewood mailing address can still sit in a neighboring city or in unincorporated Pierce County, so read the parcel record before you assume the City of Edgewood is the permit office. The Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer parcel page shows the recorded building square footage and outbuildings. Comparing that page to what is actually on the lot is a quick way to see what the record is missing.

Permits for an Edgewood parcel go through the City of Edgewood, not KindKey. You can ask the city what permit records exist for your address. If the city has already opened a code case about the work, that is a different problem. Read the Edgewood code-violation guide, and talk with a Washington attorney if the notice has a hearing, a deadline, or a penalty you do not understand.

Washington’s seller disclosure law is chapter 64.06 RCW. The disclosure statement asks about things like additions, conversions, and remodeling and whether permits were obtained. KindKey will not tell you how to answer it or whether an exemption applies to your sale. Ask a Washington real estate attorney if you are unsure. Answer honestly with what you actually know. A cash buyer is not a reason to leave something off the form.

If the house came to you through an estate or a trust, you may not know who built what. Saying you do not know is different from saying there is nothing. The Edgewood probate and living-trust guides cover who can sign when the owner has died.

Permitting after the fact can mean drawings, opening walls for inspection, and bringing work up to current code. On acreage with outbuildings, a well, or a septic system, the questions can stack up. Removing the work costs money too and can leave the house smaller. Some owners have the time and cash for either. If you do, a licensed contractor and a listing with a licensed broker may get you more. KindKey will not run that listing.

If you do not have the time or the cash, or the house also needs a roof, has a stalled remodel, or has tenants in the converted space, selling as-is is the simpler path. KindKey buys as a principal. KindKey does not charge an agent commission or a separate assignment fee. Closing-cost responsibility is stated in the purchase agreement and can vary. Payoffs, liens, and taxes can reduce proceeds. The settlement statement shows them before you close.

If the loan is behind, foreclosure timing matters more than the permit question. Read the Edgewood foreclosure guide and talk with a Washington attorney. Washington’s foreclosure-rescue law is chapter 61.34 RCW. KindKey does not interpret it, and you should ask your attorney about it before you sign anything with any buyer.

If a tenant lives in the garage conversion or the ADU, do not try to clear them out yourself. The Edgewood tenant guide explains how KindKey looks at an occupied house. Kitsap County owners in Port Orchard, Bremerton, Silverdale, and Poulsbo have the same question with a different permit office. The Kitsap County as-is guide is the place to start there.