Our Long Beach architecture firm gets contacted occasionally by writers who require the expertise of an architect for stories they’re working on. Recently, we were approached by Stephanie Booth of Realtor.com, who was working on an article about home improvement projects that could negatively affect your neighbors, and we were happy to contribute our thoughts on “what not to do” when taking on a home renovation or remodel.
You can read the entire article here, but here are a few possible ways mentioned in the article that your home remodel could anger your neighbors:
- Constructing a large addition that blocks your neighbor’s view
- Not taking window placement into account (and ending up being able to see into your neighbor’s bedroom or bathroom—or vice versa)
- Not completing construction in a timely manner
What the Realtor.com article didn’t go into is how partnering with an experienced, proactive architect and a reputable general contractor can help you avoid being the talk of the neighborhood (and not in a good way).
For example, in the case of the windows in your home’s addition lining up with your neighbors windows, I would hope that any Long Beach architect you hire would take this detail into consideration, but I’ve been around long enough to know that not all do. At M. Grisafe Architect, we take great care in addressing the details that really matter, and we’ve found that it’s usually the little things that matter most in architectural design.
In the Realtor.com article, I also address remodels that end up taking way more time to be completed than they should. No one wants to live in a construction zone, or have what looks like an abandoned project on their street for an extended period of time. It could negatively affect their own property values, and it’s just ugly to look at. They’ll put up with it for a time, but eventually they’ll want the project to just be finished, and will get crankier about it as each day passes.
Of course, there are always extenuating circumstances that could cause a project to come to a halt, but a residential remodel should never be delayed for a lengthy period of time due to the negligence of the architect or contractor.
Before you hire an architect or contractor, ask them what kind of relationship they have with the planning department in the city in which you live. You want to hire someone who works well, and regularly, with your city’s planning officials. They will know how to keep things moving and will probably have a better chance of getting plans approved and inspections done in a more timely and efficient manner.
At M. Grisafe Architect, we work hard to maintain good relationships with everyone involved in the process. In fact, the City of Long Beach has actually come to us to help them improve and streamline their plan submission and approval process. We also have a select group of general contractors we can recommend that work in the Long Beach area who are honest, hard-working, and get the job done in a reasonable amount of time.
If you have a residential or commercial remodel in mind, we’d love to talk with you about it. Our team can help turn your vision into a reality. Or if you don’t already have a vision of what you want, we can help with that too!
Contact us today to get the process started!
