Harleysville-Lansdale Real Estate and More

Will Your Township’s U&O Derail the Sale of Your Home?

Are you aware of some of the potential pitfalls of the Use and Occupancy inspections required by some municipalities in the Lansdale-Montgomeryville area and how those inspections are costing some sellers thousands of dollars?

U&O stands for Use and Occupancy. Some municipalities may call it a Resale Inspection or use another term, but it essentially is an inspection required by some boroughs and townships in our area when an existing property is being sold.

In the North Penn School District, the following municipalities require a U&O: Towamencin Township, Hatfield Township, Hatfield Borough, and North Wales Borough. The others do not. The items these specific municipalities look for can and will vary widely.

Many of these boroughs and townships look for safety and code violations. Typical items may include:

> GFCI protected outlets in the kitchen, bathrooms, garages, basement, and exterior outlets
> Handrails when there are three or more steps
> Working smoke detectors on each level of the house (sometimes they will have to operate in conjunction with each other or be in each bedroom)
> Ensuring storm water does not discharge into the public sewer system
> Ensuring household waste water does not discharge into the yard or storm sewer
> Steel doors for fire protection between an attached garage and the house

More stringent U&O inspections may also require:

> Egress from finished basements
> Sidewalks and curbs to be repaired or replaced
> Chimney certifications
> Sewer vent lines to be installed
> Audible alarms when household doors open directly to a pool area
> Locking bedroom doors
> Anything the inspector feels violates building and safety codes

Most boroughs and townships that require U&O inspections for residential re-sales are fairly consistent with the types of issues they look for. However, there are a few authorities that have been rather inconsistent with their inspection process.

The problem we see with the inconsistent ones is that the rules keep changing and what one seller had to do one year, another seller doesn’t have to do another year.

For example, the U&O for re-sales in Towamencin Township since January 1, 2010 requires a Master plumber certification and a sidewalk/curb inspection. Any cracked sidewalks or deteriorated curbs are required to be replaced. Additionally, blacktop sidewalks and driveway aprons are unacceptable and the township has recently required homeowners to rip out the blacktop and install new concrete walkways and aprons in order to complete the sale of their homes. Some sellers have spent thousands of dollars on this requirement alone.

However, homes sold prior to 2010 did not have to meet this requirement; those sellers had to get chimney certifications and install GFCI outlets, egress from finished basement, handrails, etc. Now, none of those previously required items are part of Towamencin’s current re-sale inspection.

If you are considering the sale of a property, we highly recommend that you determine whether your municipality requires a U&O inspection for re-sales and, if so, identify what items are inspected.

A good resource for this information can be found at www.suburbanrealtorsalliance.com. For more information on this topic or if you want to know how your municipality has handled U&O inspections, contact us.  We can help guide you through the home selling process.

This article was originally posted to "Get Real" in the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Problems for Selllers With U&O's in the North Penn Area - Lansdale, PA - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

What is a U&O inspection and do I need one to sell my house?

U&O stands for Use and Occupancy.  Some but not all boroughs and townships in our area will require one when a property is being sold.  For those boroughs and townships that do require this inspection, the items they look for can and will vary dramatically.

Many boroughs and townships look for safety and code violations.  Typical items may include:

> GFCI protected outlets in the kitchen and bathrooms

> Handrails when there are three or more steps

> Working smoke detectors on each level of the house (sometimes they will have to operate in conjunction with each other or be in each bedroom)

> Ensuring storm water does not discharge into the public sewer system

> Ensuring household waste water does not discharge into the yard or storm sewer

> Steel doors for fire protection between an attached garage and the house

More stringent U&O inspectors may require:

> Egress from finished basements

> Sidewalks and curbs to be repaired or replaced

> Chimney certifications

> Sewer vent lines to be installed

> Audible alarms when household doors open directly to a pool area

> Locking bedroom doors

> Anything the inspector feels like flagging that day...

Most boroughs and townships that require U&O inspections are fairly consistent with the types of issues they look for.  However, there are a few authorities that have been tremendously inconsistent with their inspection process. 

The problem we see with the inconsistent ones is that the rules keep changing and what one seller had to do one year, another seller doesn't have to do another year.  Some authorities have gotten carried away with their requirements and it can (and have) cost some sellers in our area thousands of dollars to make the changes required by the U&O inspection.

If you are considering a move, we can tell you the "historical" track record of the borough or township you live in and what you can likely expect.  If you know you are in a borough or township with a terribly inconsistent U&O process, we urge you to contact your local board of supervisors.  What will they require when it is your time to sell?

~Lisa

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Oh No, Not a U&O! - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.