Research: Step 1

You are looking to buy a house.
You are living in a home that needs repair.
You've been informed that your home is in the "flood zone".
You would like to upgrade your home.
You would like to add a porch or deck to your home.
You would like to add space to your home.
You would like to "finish" previously unfinished space in your home.
You would like to increase the energy efficiency of your home.
You would like to build a new home or tear down a cottage and replace it with an energy efficient home. 

Though most of these things should inspire excitement and anticipation, for most they appear as, at best, a cumbersome chore or, at worst, a threat to retirement funds saved so diligently. When time, care and knowledgeable imagination are applied, all of these situations can be enjoyable, life enhancing and can add value to your home.

Step 1:
Find out as much as possible about regulations affecting the property.

The very beginning is the best time to hire an Architect. And, as an Architect, in most cases, I will recommend immediately that you hire a Site Engineer. Having a professional involved right from the start will help you to assess whether your initial desires will make sense in the long run. The right professional will help you to learn about the restrictions and opportunities your property may have. You may save time and money by assessing your needs given added information right up front. You do not need a builder yet. Before your project is well defined, a builder will not be able to give you useful cost estimates. If you know and like a good builder, he/she will most likely recommend that you start by contacting an Architect.
That said; you as a property owner, or even as a potential property owner, have access to much of the information you need. Any legwork (actually Internet research) you care to do will be useful. Keep in mind that the Site Engineer you hire will need to verify this information and is experienced at finding it quickly.

A.      Most town assessors have websites which will let you easily access information about your home as well as other homes in your area.

• Look up the assessed value of the house in which you are interested (not the total property value, but that of the building). 
  
• Check for any open building permits if you are new to the property. 
  
• Note the number of bedrooms that the town understands you to have. Compare this number to your Title V report if you have one. Sometimes the information is incorrect or incomplete, but it will give you a starting point.
  

B.      Interactive GIS maps, also usually available through your town website, will give you a heads up on information about your location. Depending on the extent of your project, the information you find here will need to be verified by a Site Engineer, but it will help you to know what questions to ask. Below is just some of the information that, if applicable, should be on a good Site Plan. As you see this is much more detailed information than you will find on the "plot plan" done by your lending institution.

• Within what zoning district does the property lay? What are the dimensional restrictions of that zone? 
  
• Within what flood zone does the property lay? What are the requirements of that zone?
  
• What is the elevation (relative to sea level) of the land and of the existing house? What is the elevation of the first floor?
  
• Do all the buildings on the site appear to lie within its boundaries? Is the house within the required setbacks.
• Does the site lie within the “wind debris zone” (within one mile if the coast)?
• Is there a utility or water access right of way on the property?  
  
• Is the property in a Historic District?
  
• Is the property within the jurisdiction of Conservation Commission? 
  
• What is the lot size? What is the street frontage? What is the current lot coverage by building?
  

Armed with knowledge about your property you will be able to confidently speak to your architect about your needs and in turn, he / she will be able to foresee any roadblocks due to your property location that you may encounter.
My next blog will talk about the researching existing conditions of a home to be renovated and analyzing a site.