Building a new house is an exciting experience as you get to design every inch of your home the way you want. That said, you must remember to stay within the purview of the construction regulations imposed on the area where you plan to buy a property and build your house. Every residential (commercial as well) area is subject to specific construction regulations, to ensure structural safety and avoid obstructions or inconveniences to surrounding areas and properties.
While some of these regulations are simple, there are quite a few that can be technical and tricky to comply with. To ensure your home design meets the requirements, it’s vital to work with an experienced architect capable of doing the required research to help you determine if you can have the house of your dreams in the property you want to buy.
At Marilyn Ypes Architect Inc., before drawing up structural plans, we review the property you bring to us to determine what authorities have jurisdiction over it. These authorities may include local municipalities, local conservation authorities, possible heritage designation, local zoning by-laws, development restrictions such as being in the Oak Ridges Morraine development zone, the proximity of airports, or other features limiting the development potential of the property. We then report back to you the restrictions for construction on the property.
The purpose of doing this is to quickly determine the development possibilities for a property you may be considering. Based on the limitations posed by the construction laws in that area, you can accordingly determine if investing in the property is worth it. You can even check with us to see what alternative design options are available. If they serve your needs, you can place a bid on the property. If not, you can look for another property to purchase.
As you can see, when buying a property to construct a house, it’s a good idea to spend a little time researching what you can do on the property and determining what you want to do. You can either conduct the property research yourself or hire a professional architect to do it for you. If you choose to do your own research, you’ll need to be knowledgeable of the potential issues that could arise if you go against the construction regulations or try an alternate design.
On the other hand, when you hire a reliable architect, you don’t have to worry as much about these issues. Also, there will be no room for surprises during the development phase, which would otherwise cost time and money to overcome. If an issue is known from the start, the development project can be steered in a different direction or invest in another property that allows you to achieve your dream house goals.
For a reliable architectural professional to help you with your property research, reach out to Marilyn Ypes Architect Inc. We are an experienced architecture firm in Toronto, ON, and we specialize in several areas of architecture, from big construction projects to little ones, like residential porch additions. The price of our services generally varies depending on the size and location of the property you want to build on. However, we do our best to keep our fees affordable so our clients can benefit from high standards of design and research. Besides respecting our clients’ budgets, we also aim to fulfill their needs by including them at every step of the way and communicating with them regularly.
To learn more about our services, please click here. If you have any questions regarding our services or architecture in general, please feel free to call us at (416) 223-8385 or click here to schedule a consultation with us.