More Homes Built Faster Act.
 
The provincial government has passed some legislation that will allow three-unit homes to be built in any residential zoning. I am certain that there will be quite a bit of drama with neighbors objecting to the changes. These changes revolve around altering by-laws to allow more units on a property. Let’s look at the impact by-laws have when it comes to the construction of homes and renovations.

If a homeowner wants to remove an interior wall to open the kitchen to the family room, they need a building permit. The same goes if a person wants to build a basement apartment, add an addition to their home or put a second story onto their property. How important are bylaws?
Let’s take a quick trip to Italy. Recently Italy had a terrible landslide that killed 11 residents in Casamicciola, a small village on the Island of Ischia. As horrible as this tragedy was, it also revealed some hidden issues that were part of the resulting destruction. Illegal construction and renovations.

There are 63,000 people who live on the island of Ischia where the landslide took place. There are also 27,000 applications for “amnesty” dealing with illegal construction, from altered windows to entire homes being built. This calamity has exposed a truth that few have admitted to and has added to the level of destruction.

Few people want to deal with the government when it comes to rules. Bureaucracy, waiting for inspectors to show up, or show up on time, the costs involved with applying for permits or the egos that come with everyone from civil servants in planning services departments, or inspectors applying their own rules to approve renovations. Most people would see this as an aggravation. A great question is “how necessary are these hoops to jump through”?

Rules are necessary. We recently completed a legal basement suite in a home we own and went through the process of applying for a permit and working with the planning services department to end up with a certified legal apartment. What I found working through the process, as challenging as it was, was that most of the work deemed necessary was to ensure that the tenant who would occupy the unit could do so safely and with the knowledge that things like smoke detectors were in place, both inside the unit and in the furnace, that there was egress in case of a fire and that the electrical and plumbing would provide the comfort they expected.
As a Real Estate broker for over 30 years, I have been inside some basement apartments that have made me shudder. From leaky basements to no second exit to get out of the unit if there was a fire, and in some cases exposed wiring or open sewer pipes. I have seen it all. By-laws and rules are necessary to avoid damage and deaths like what happened in Italy recently.
If you are planning on a renovation and use a licensed contractor, there is a good chance they will require permits. There is a question that comes up regularly when I am working with a Buyer and looking at homes. If we can see a home has had renovations, such as the removal of walls, the question about permits is raised. I am one to ask the question, however, most Buyers I work with are equally aware of the necessity of permits. The lack of a history of permits can impact the sale of a property. I remember a few years ago being in a home and joking with a Buyer as I took out a pen, laid it on the hardwood floor, and watched it roll quickly to the outside wall. In the basement, we found that the main support had been removed to open up the space. You could still see the footing and where the support was meant to attach to the floor joist. We guessed the floor had dropped about 3 inches. Again, there are reasons that bylaws exist.
Being a person who wants to get things done, rules tend to slow things down. In this case, the rules about renovations make perfect sense when they impact the safety and long-term enjoyment of your property. Not only do permits give you long-term enjoyment, in the event you are planning on selling your property in the future, but they can also be the thing that causes a Buyer to buy rather than run.

With 4 decades of experience selling homes in Durham Region I have learned how to market homes that have been renovated. If you are planning a move, I can be reached at lindsay@buyselllove.ca

When do you need to apply for a building permit in Durham Region?

1)Constructing or demolishing any building or addition.
2)Making alterations.
3)Adding or changing signs.
4)Adding fireplaces of wood-burning stoves.
5)Building a sundeck, deck or porch.
6)Making changes to heating or plumbing systems.
 
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