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Home renovations are a popular option, with 90% of homeowners planning a
remodel. Updating your house gives it a modern appearance and adds resale
value. Upgrades also allow you to stay in place longer, which is helpful
due to low housing inventory. Here are the renovations that provide the
best return on investment (ROI).

EXCLUSIVE Listing

The Listing Team @ Real Estate Sales Force814 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Suite #503Coral Gables, FL 33134954-342-6180

814 PONCE DE LEON BOULEVARD, 503, CORAL GABLES, FL 33134. 305.392.1497 © 2017 Real Estate Sales Force, Inc. All material presented herein is intended for information purposes only. While this information is believed to be correct, it is represented subject to errors, omissions, changes or withdrawal without notice. All property information, including, but not limited to square footage, room count, number of bedrooms and the school district in property listings are deemed reliable, but should be verified by your own attorney, architect or zoning expert.

If buying a home is on your goal sheet this year, here’s how to make it
happen. Focus on improving your credit, planning for your down payment,
getting pre-approved, and prioritizing your wish list. But first, let’s
connect so you have expert advice every step of the way.

Renovating Without A Permit? Here Are 7 Reasons Why It’s A Big No-No | The Listing Team

A home renovation is a great way to add value and satisfaction to your beloved abode. After all, who doesn’t love stepping into a new room, a finished basement, or a renovated bathroom?However, before “undertaking any of the character-building, heavy-lifting labor” there’s the time-consuming and costly process of obtaining renovation permits. How long a permit can be approved depends on the scale of the project. For smaller renovations, it may take as little as 24 hours. Expectedly, larger projects might take longer so homeowners may have a bit of a wait on their hands. So who says it isn’t tempting to save a bit of time and money skipping that step entirely and pushing ahead with your planned renovations?

Well if you do, prepare to face some terrible consequences. Unpermitted work refers to any modifications made to the home that should have been permitted but were not.

Aside from a sunken property value, your biggest risk may lie in the job itself. Without the proper permits, there’s no guarantee that your contractors will execute a professional job. The results of this could be disastrous. For instance, if you sell, those substandard improvements might cause you trouble during a home inspection.

It’s a nightmare to think about, but it means big trouble if your municipality or city office finds out you’re renovating sans-permits. Some cities will only inspect, but some will issue a stop-work order and may even slap a hefty fine on both the homeowner and contractor. Worse still, the city could order a teardown of the entire project with a subsequent order to redo any work done with the proper permits finally in hand.

Another area of concern is that any unpermitted additions may not be covered, and even violate your insurance policy. It is especially concerning if an accident or disaster occurred in that part of your home. If there’s been a house fire caused by faulty wiring due to poor electrical work, or if someone fell and seriously injured themselves you could be facing a costly nightmare.Filing an insurance claim for a scenario like this could be futile; your policy probably isn’t going to cover the issue, additionally, you may be heading towards a complicated, costly lawsuit.

As we mentioned earlier, failing to get permits could cause the value of your home to drop. Why? For starters, real estate information in your local municipality needs to be up to date to help maintain home values and stay current with taxes and insurance. Renovation permits will help ensure that your property keeps up with the latest health and safety standards. When you sell, an appraiser will assess your home in order to gauge its objective market value. Any unpermitted work brought into concern because of safety defects could depreciate your home’s value. Even worse, you could be fined with the appraiser also demanding that the work be removed and redone—this time with proper permits secured. Likewise, any room additions not up to code will be excluded in the square footage stated in your “updated”  home listing. That means buyers will think your home is smaller than it really is.

Notwithstanding the huge laundry list of features and amenities potential buyers look for in a new home, above all is a safe and secure place. Should they discover the house they’re looking at has undergone an unpermitted structural remodel, it can imbue them with uncertainty, causing a loss of confidence in your property, and resulting in some serious purchase reconsiderations.The buyer might think you hired someone unqualified to do the work because you didn’t even bother getting permits. They may feel that the completed renovation is unsafe, leaving them clouded with worry about long-term problems down the line. A good buyer’s agent is going to make sure that permits were pulled on any significant additions done to the property, so there’s no escaping the consequences. However, if permits were secured for the renovations, concerns like these all go out the window, with the buyer immediately given peace of mind and assurance, enticing them to make a good and reasonable offer.

Well, it might be overreacting, but not getting permits for a significant modification or addition can stop a home sale. Wait, what? You heard right! Once your home has entered the market, a subsequent home inspection and appraisal will follow as is required by the selling process. The inspector will ensure that buyers know exactly what they’re getting while the appraiser will look to protect the interests of the bank or lending institution, ensuring proper standards are met before they approve the loan. Both professionals can easily request public records on your home, including the permits (or lack thereof) for any improvements made, assuring that the property is not only habitable but in good working order.It could cost you the home sale if the bank doesn’t want to fund the loan because the appraiser’s requests were not met, or if the potential buyer backed out due to personal uncertainty with regard to property safety and structural integrity.  

Admittedly, securing a renovation permit can be a hassle. You have to provide your local municipality with your detailed plans for the remodel, as well as additional documentation if needed. Moreover, permits come with corresponding fees. However, proceeding to push through with a renovation without proper paperwork can lead to dire consequences, as discussed above. The commonalities shared by those risks are time wasted, money squandered and maybe a forthcoming lawsuit. Not to mention, most likely you’d also be required to undo all the work done, taking you and your home back to square one on what could have been a great addition.

Tips:

Know what renovations require permits. Any substantial, structural, or significant remodel requires the homeowner or seller to get a permit. These major renovations could include electrical or plumbing work, basement refurbishment, or room addition. However, if you are only updating or sprucing up an existing space, then permits might not be necessary.

Consult with your city building committee. However, building codes and the legal requirements to pull a permit vary with every city. With this in mind, it’s important to check with your local municipality or city building code committee to make sure there won’t be any problem before you tear down a wall or remodel anything.

Hire only licensed and reputable contractors. You can rest assured that they won’t work without securing proper permits, giving you peace of mind that their work will be up to code.

Whether you’re moving somewhere new or you’re fixing up a place you hold
near and dear, renovating in the wintertime can have both its pros and
cons. Even with the exciting projects you likely have in store, there are
absolutely some safety and comfort concerns that might come into play when
you begin whatever project you want to accomplish. Whether you’re going big
with building and construction or you’re simply knocking out a wall or two,
here are a few safety tips.

Summer months are just around the corner, and if you own a vacation rental
in Florida, it’s time to prepare it for an upcoming busy season. After all,
you want to give your guests the best rental experience ever. If you do
that, you’ll make sure to attract many new guests and help your rental gain
popularity. The best part it isn’t hard to prepare your vacation rental for
summer, and it won’t take much of your time. It’s so easy that it might
inspire you to look for a second Florida property to turn into an
attractive rental.

First impressions matter. Your home’s curb appeal — or lack thereof — is
the first thing that people see when they pass by your house. It says a lot
about you as a homeowner and an individual. Here are some of the greatest
benefits you can expect from giving your home the curb appeal it deserves.

While there’s certainly a huge debate on renting vs buying a home, no one
could argue that it’s a major decision for many people. Some say renting is
like throwing money down the drain and you’re just paying off someone
else’s mortgage. Others insist that there’s no way they could give up their
flexibility and be tied up in one place. 

If buying a home is on your goal sheet this year, there are things you need
to do now to make it happen. But above all else, connect with a trusted
agent and lender so you have expert advice every step of the way.

Spring is almost here, and many are wondering what it will bring for the
housing market. Even though the pandemic continues on, it’s certain to be
very different from the spring we experienced at this time last year.