Looking to install that flowerbed wall you always wanted? Maybe the pool you’ve been saving up for?
If you live in an HOA, the first step is to ensure your project is approved by the architectural committee of your association before construction begins!
Nearly every horror story you’ve heard about architectural projects gone bad could’ve been avoided if the homeowners simply would’ve had the project approved prior to installation.
Your Homeowner’s Association is ultimately in the business of protecting your home values. One of the primary ways this is done is by upholding the existing standards in your community. This helps ensure that home values are upheld on a community-wide level so that you may hopefully yield the highest return on your investment should you ever choose to sell your home.
We do the heavy lifting for you in facilitating the process of approval, but there are three essential ingredients in helping us get your project pushed through as quickly as possible.
What are you doing? This step is easy. We’re putting in a flowerbed wall.
Where’s it going? The best way to address this question is to make a copy of your survey site plan (sometimes referred to as a plat plan) and mark the area you intend to place your project.
What is it going to look like? Here’s where the devil is in the details. The committee needs the materials, dimensions, and specifications. If you’re having a professional install your project, the simplest thing to do is attach a PDF copy of the specifications they provided you at the time of the estimate.
For the flowerbed wall example, including the height and the width of the wall, as well as what type of brick or stone would be used, will aid the committee in making a quick decision. Also, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. There's a good chance you're not the first person in the neighborhood with this project. In which case, find another home in the community with a similar installation and snap a photo saying, “this is the look we’re shooting for.”
When you have everything together, simply go to the Architectural Request Form and fill out the required information. We will put everything together and submit your project to the committee for review and processing.
Once your project has been processed, we will send you an email, as well as a hard copy of the committee’s response.
Keep in mind that if your community is under homeowner control (meaning you have a homeowner board of directors), homeowners just like yourself are having to make critical decisions about architectural projects that will affect the future of your community. If you wouldn't feel confident deciding about your project based on the information you provided, there's a pretty good chance the committee will require more information as well.
To ensure efficient processing, include as much information the first time you submit your project to avoid having to provide additional information to gain approval.