Smoke and CO2 Inspection
There are a few things a Seller is required to take care of before title can exchange hands. The first is mandated by the government as a safety measure for the Buyer. Prior to closing, sellers must contact their local fire department and set up a smoke and carbon monoxide detector inspection. An inspection might need to be set up from 10 days to weeks in advance depending upon the number of inspection appointments that might already be scheduled for others who have sold their homes prior to you. This is a critical point to keep in mind should you be expecting a quick “cash” closing! If sales are numerous, there can be a backlog for the fire department to work through. If sales are slow, then scheduling an appointment won’t be as stressful. Someone must be present when the representative from the fire department arrives. You are expected to have a bank check/money order payable to the city to give to the inspector upon completion of the inspection. The inspection does not take very long. The inspector checks to see if the smoke detectors are of the right type, in the right places, and sound when the test button is pushed.
The second inspection a Seller is mandated to have is only applicable if the property is NOT hooked up to city sewerage.
Title 5 Inspection
Yes, septic systems can fail over time and your local Department of Health wants to be sure it is functioning normally before title can transfer to a new buyer. To find this out, sellers are required to hire a septic firm to check out all its components and provide a pass or fail report. If the report indicates it failed, the property will likely require having a new system installed. That is a fairly expensive enterprise. You can inform yourself as to what Massachusetts requires under its Title 5 law.
