November 2021
After living with your common areas – lobby, corridor, amenities – for many years we forget how excited we were when first moving in or after the most recent renovation.
That excitement returns when it comes time to renovate common areas every decade or so. And for good reason. This is a time to make common areas more appealing, useful and interesting. A good renovation enhances your lifestyle and adds to the resale value of your home.
Common area renovations are an opportunity to improve the perception, value and functionality of your building.
When planning for your building renovation consider the following.
Aesthetics and Accessibility
New and modern can change the look of an entire building. When originally built or last renovated, building standards and laws may have restricted what could be done in your building. While making everything look good make sure areas are functional and accessible to all.
Permits
Check with your contractor before work commences to ensure all required permits are in place. Better yet, stipulate in your contract that the contractor take responsibility for obtaining all necessary permits. While overall responsibility for obtaining permits remains with the corporation, contracts with this stipulation simplify what needs to be done.
Resident Input
Before plans are finalized and renovations commence obtain resident input even when not necessary to do so. Make plans, drawings and finishings available for residents to view. Hold a meeting to explain plans and timing.
Owners that want to be involved, and provide input on how their home should look and function, should have an opportunity to do so. There are likely to be fewer complaints when residents become part of the process.
It takes time to do things right. Working with an experienced designer and contractor can simplify the process and avoid problems.
