The 2014 outlook for American real estate places Seattle in the Top 20 markets to watch as the country finishes moving through the “middle innings” of the economic recovery. A comprehensive report “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2014” by PWC and the Urban Land Institute indicates that consumer confidence has begun to displace uncertainty, causing a ripple effect.
Homeowners waiting on the sidelines are poised to move forward with improving residential property, especially in categories affecting their profit. This includes luxury outdoor living improvements: outdoor covered areas and kitchens, patios and walkways, driveways, decks, arbors and fences.
Contractor Ted Flateau, owner of Custom Fence and Masonry, can see it coming. People are getting more liberal with their spending. Landscaping partners are calling now to get their spring, summer and fall projects on the schedule.
Though it is early in the year, now is the perfect time to get started with design and permitting. Getting a permit can be the hurdle that delays your project due to issues that can arise. For example, a plan submitted for permit can take up to six weeks before it is reviewed by a plans examiner. At that time they may ask for additional paper work, such as beam load, or seismic and wind calculations from a structural engineer, further delaying the permit process.
See our blog article “Planning Your Outdoor Space” to get more specific information about the kinds of issues you can circumvent by starting early.
You may be thinking about going ahead with your project without a permit, and some people do. It is not wise to accept a proposal from a contractor that does not insist on getting a permit for an addition to your home. That could be a good sign that the contractor is not licensed and bonded for that type of work. The trouble is, when selling your home you cannot legally use the improvements to increase the value of your sale, if the improvements have not been recorded with the County Assessor’s office.
Custom Fence and Masonry does it by the book. Our quality, craftsmanship and integrity will pave the way for you. Contact us today for a consultation at 425-868-4114.