Duplex with Bedrooms without windows

[Mason Wade Morris]

Hi everyone just hoping to get some help/suggestions on a duplex I have under contract with a couple more days left in my inspection contingency period.  Property is a built in 1978 2 bed/2bath on each side with enough room to easily add a third bedroom.

I was really excited about getting my first property/duplex under contract and went through inspections and was moving forward to closing.

After working through what it would need to add the third bedroom it dawned on me that the main bedroom(and 3rd bedroom if added) in each side does not have any windows (no escape route).  However, each of them have a set of french doors leading into the bedroom on one wall with a normal door on another wall.  The only way I could see to add a window would be to remove the closet and put it on the back wall of the closet.  This would require me to rebuild the closet on another wall.  Not only would I have to move the closet, in order to add the window I would need to cut through outer brick wall, which is also right next to where the electric meter, and gas lines are.

So right now I do not think that the duplex is up to code (right?).  The inspection reported that there was not a firewall between the units in the attic either, but figured that would be grandfathered in with the old code.  Unfortunately, I am wondering if I need to walk away and chalk this one up as a learning experience and lose out on inspection, appraisal, and title costs that will need paid for.

Sorry for such a long post, but trying to provide all of the info.  Any suggestions or experience in this situation?

[Laura Williams]

@Mason Wade Morris from what I know a bedroom has to have a window and a closet otherwise it’s not technically a bedroom. Any RE agent I know or ever worked with would advertise this as a one bedroom if the second bedroom doesn’t have a window. Maybe they’d call that second bedroom a ‘bonus room’ but not a bedroom.  

If it’s a good deal as a one bedroom then I would move forward. But if it drastically changes your numbers and gives you negative equity & there’s no way to add windows then I guess that’s something to think about.