Remodel the Un-Perfect House!
Can't find the Charlottesville house which haunts your dreams, in your selected location? Buy the un-perfect house, in the perfect location, and remodel!
These days, I have many buyers who want a master bedroom and a two car garage on the main level, but they don't necessarily like the newer subdivisions. For whatever reason, houses in the city were often constructed without garages, and unless they were small ranchers, all of the bedrooms were up a flight of stairs. I've started looking for city houses with growth potential, because many of these neighborhoods can accommodate larger homes, i.e. they will appraise.
So, what do you look for? The lot has to work... that's probably one of the biggest issues. Will a garage or/and an addition fit within the required lot line allowance? In the City of Charlottesville, for a standard residential single family home, the front and rear setback requirements are 25'. The side line setback is 10'. There is a height maximum as well, 35'. (You can find more about this in the city's zoning ordinance, Chapter 34 Zoning, Sec. 34-353. Dimensional requirements--By district.) In Albemarle County, the conventional setback requirements are 25' front, 20' rear, and 15' side. In the rural area of Albemarle County, which is most of the County, the setbacks are: 75' from an existing public road, 35' at the rear, and 25' from sides. There are so many different types of housing these days, and so many variables, I think it's wise to contact the Albemarle County Department of Community Development directly, 434-296-5832.
Once you know that your plans are physically possible, you need to move on to the financial side of things, which we'll discuss in the next "remodel" post.
Please visit our other posts about remodeling:
How to Save on Your Charlottesville Kitchen Remodel
Paying for the Remodeling of Your Charlottesville Home
Search for all homes for sale in Charlottesville and surrounding areas
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If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Charlottesville area, rely on me to help you put the pieces together. Virginia Gardner, Roy Wheeler Realty Co., (434) 981-0871 Email Virginia
