Earthquake Straps | Carbon Monoxide Detectors | Recording Devices

You are getting ready to get your home on the market and there is a few things that will need to be in place for the sale. Per Washington state regulations earthquake straps and carbon monoxide detectors are required prior to the appraiser going out to your home. When these items are not installed in the home prior to the appraisal and the appraiser has to go back out they will charge an additional fee and it can delay closing.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors – These need to be installed in the hallway outside bedrooms. If you have bedrooms upstairs and downstairs you would need to have two carbon monoxide detectors. In some instances you may need more than 2, we can take a look and let you know how many you need. Even if you don’t have gas or propane for your home these are still required by every lender. You can buy these at Home Depot or Lowes, the best kind is the ones that plug right in to the wall. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kidde-Plug-In-Carbon-Monoxide-Detector-with-AA-Battery-Backup-21027451/205423758

Earthquake Straps on Water Heater– You will need to install earthquake straps on your water heater to secure the water heater. You can also purchase these at Home Depot or Lowes. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-PROTECH-Earthquake-Strap-SP13345/311524813

Recording Devices: Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons explains that Washington State Law makes it unlawful to intercept a conversation by audio recording device without written permission. It is not enough to post signage around your house or have an oral conversation to notify potential buyers that there is audio surveillance on the property. Two-party consent is required and gaining buyer’s consent to be recorded during a showing is unlikely. Sellers should disable the audio feature before opening the house to buyers.

Elizabeth Lutz is a licensed Realtor with The Connors Group at Windermere Group One and specializes in the team’s social media marketing.  Check out http://www.aprilconnors.com for more information.