building code
Renovate Or Start With New Construction?
How should you make the decision to renovate or gut rehab your existing home, or if you should tear down your home and start from scratch with new construction? Good builders can make a renovation just as good, if not better, than new construction. The price of completely renovating versus new construction will be about the same, as well. To make the decision to tear down or renovate, you need to think about what kind of benefits, like size or amenities, you will get from both options.
Home Renovation Video Series
Ilyce Glink from ThinkGlink.com and ExpertRealEstateTips.net shares advice, tips, and how to help in this video series dedicated to home renovation and remodeling. With help from contractors, construction professionals and experts, Ilyce brings you the best advice in the industry. If you’re thinking about new construction, or renovating your existing home, this 30-video series will cover every topic to get you prepped to break ground and start your construction project. Watch this home renovation series from Expert Real Estate Tips to get more advice, explanations and tips to keep your rehab or new construction on track.
No Permit For Deck In Purchased Home
A home buyer recently purchased a home and was told the home’s fence and deck do not have a permit. The buyer doesn’t know which previous owner built the deck and is wondering if it should have been disclosed that they did not have permits. The owner might only have to pay a building permit fee to get into compliance.
Homeowners Association Won’t Help With Neighbor Dispute
A homeowners association may be able to help property owners in disputes between neighbors. If the association can’t or won’t help you, your local city, village or town government may help you. In many municipalities, local codes and ordinances require homeowners to abide by certain rules when it comes to issues like installing gutters and downspouts and how it affects the flow of water from one lot to another.
Reputable Home Inspector More Accurate Than City Building Inspector
When building a new home, hire a private, professional home inspector to make sure your new construction is up to building codes. City inspectors don’t have the time that a professional home inspector has to make sure your new home meets all the building codes. If you don’t use a reputable, professional home inspector, your home may not meet all the building codes, even if it passes inspection by the city building inspector.
Condo Meets Building Code, Angers Neighbor
What can you do if your neighbor rebuilds his condominium unit in a way that damages yours? What obligations does the neighbor have in a condominium complex? You can try contacting the municipal government where you live and see if the new condominium meets building code requirements. But if the building code has been met, then you may want to check the documents that govern your condominium community or association. A real estate attorney who specializes in building codes may also be able to help you sort out this condominium conundrum.
Basement Needs Fire Exit
Building codes vary from municipality to municipality. But in many places, if you have a basement that is used as a bedroom, building codes may require that you provide a fire exit, either a window or a door.
Design Your Own House
Architect Sarah Susanka talks about designing your own house with an architect. When you design your own house you should design it for you, not for resale. What’s the best way to design your own house?
Refinance To Keep Home After Divorce
When couples divorce sometimes the woman agrees to keep the home rather than lay claim to the man’s retirement benefits. But is this a fair trade? It’s worth reconsidering trading a home for retirement benefits when the housing market is poor or if the home has home improvement work that wasn’t built with building permits or up to code. If one spouse does decide to keep the home, it’s important to refinance the property to remove the name of the parting spouse from the mortgage loan.
Before Building New Construction Look Into Zoning
Before starting a new construction project on your property you should look into the building code and zoning regulations for your neighborhood. To understand the building code for your new construction you should talk to your local zoning official in your local building department and a knowledgeable real estate agent. Researching the building code and zoning regulations ahead of time will help you avoid costly mistakes with new construction.
