Home Remodeling, Obeying Your Subdivision’s Restrictive Covenant

Living in a PUD (Planned Urban Development) can have some definite perks. You get gated security and sidewalks. The homeowner’s association’s regulations ensure that the public spaces will be well kept and lighted. Plus there are lots of amenities ranging from a pool and tennis courts and right up to an 18-hole golf courses in some communities. Of course, along with the pluses there are negatives to reckon with. If, for instance, you decide to do a bit of home remodeling, you’ll need to accomplish the task while obeying your subdivision’s restrictive covenant agreement’s clauses.

Some of the downsides to the agreement include clauses that prohibit your having a public waste receptacle (a.k.a. a dumpster) in you yard. Workmen can only gain access during specified areas in some communities. These are, of course, minor inconveniences compared to the restrictions placed upon what sort of changes you can make to your own home.

That’s right. Most homeowner’s associations in these communities have very specific guidelines as to the footprint each home is allowed to have. That means any remodeling has to be done within the context of your home’s existing footprint on the lot where it is built. To make it worse, many associations do not allow for excessive building up (adding stories) or the addition of porches, decks or other exterior living space.

Still, if you want to alter a home in a PUD, you have to abide by the rules. You agreed to them when you moved in. You pay your dues to keep them enforced. Just make sure you and your architect/contractor are fully familiar with them before you start the project. When undertaking a home remodeling within the confines of a PUD, obeying your subdivision’s restrictive covenant rules a big part of laying the foundation for a successful project.