Tips for Urban Residential Infill – Part 1
As an urban infill homeowner, you have an opportunity to enhance your living experiences while becoming stewards of your community. That said, infill projects come with their own set of issues. These can be significantly reduced by retaining early on experienced infill, custom home designer and builder. Particularly someone that knows and follows best practices (like those listed below). Use these to avoid delays, manage surprises, and gain support from the neighbours.
- Know The Zoning Limits: understanding what you can and can’t do improves your chances of getting the project approved in a reasonable amount of time. Requesting zoning variances can be a tough sell with the city and neighbours.
- Fit into the Neighbourhood Fabric: residents have pride in their home and their neighbourhood. It’s natural for them to want to preserve and protect it. Do the work of soliciting feedback early on to get a feel for what they love most about where they live. Maybe it’s the architecture, a certain tree, a color palette, or quaint outdoor space. This information will help you create a design that fits within the existing fabric and neighbourhood vibe.
- Get Grading Right: drainage can make or break the design, so it’s important to get it right the first time. Make sure you connect with the appropriate planners to determine your drainage requirements. Take advantage of drainage retaining wall and swales. And don’t forget knowing the lot’s building’s height restrictions.
- Be Prepared for the Unknown: It’s important to go into an infill development project with an open mind. Expect the unexpected. You never know what you’ll find once you start.
- Look for our next Urban Sky Blog with more Tips for Urban Infill – Part 2