As an owner of a unit in a condominium, you have a fair amount of freedom to do with it what you want. Everything from inside the outer walls inwards can be remodeled, redesigned, or rebuilt. You probably have a ton of ideas that you are ready to implement to turn your condo into the home of your dreams.

But is it really that easy? What admin issues do you need to take care of if you are going to redesign your condo?

Take the following 5 steps so as to do your due diligence before starting that redesign.

1. Get Condo Insurance

The first thing you need to do is to make sure you have the right insurance. Many condo owners assume that they need homeowners insurance, but this is far from the case. Homeowners insurance is the right option for people who own their entire home. You only own what is inside the outer walls.

Before you start working on your condo, you need to learn more about condo insurance. Condo insurance covers the cost of your unit and all of your possessions. You will need to determine what it is all worth, as well as whether your HOA covers anything.

Condo insurance will pay out when most natural disasters (other than flooding) occur and damage your unit. You can add extra items to your insurance, so that expensive electronics and jewelry are also covered. In addition to covering your possessions, condo insurance covers personal liability, in case you cause damages to anyone else in the building (or elsewhere).

2. Speak to your HOA

Unless you are running one, no one likes a homeowners association (HOA). They get in the way of living your life as you want to, with rules that can be arbitrary and sometimes seem punitive and unfair. However, when you are living in a condo, staying on the good side of your HOA is crucial.

For this reason, you should run your redesign by the HOA in charge of your building. You may be doing work that technically does not need their approval, but by asking first, you will have the peace of mind that they are not going to interfere. You also earn brownie points, so that they are less likely to get petty about things in future.

3. Get in Touch with the Original Contractors

When redesigning your condo, you may have contractors who you want to work with. Maybe they have even done work for you in the past. However, it might be worth getting in touch with the original contractors who worked on the building and who regularly do maintenance on other units.

These contractors might not be your first choice, but they have an advantage over any alternatives. They understand the ins-and-outs of the building. They know about electrical sources and where the pipes run. They know which materials were used, and can source those materials again fairly easily if necessary.

There are excellent contractors who will be able to catch up quickly, even if they did not work on the building from the start. If you truly trust the people you want to work with, go ahead. Otherwise, consider taking the easy option.

4. Inform your Immediate Neighbors

You don’t need to tell everyone in the building that you are redesigning your unit. However, it is your responsibility to inform your immediate neighbors. This is not so as to get their approval, but to prepare them for the work you are doing.

The reality is that your workers are going to make a lot of noise. There is going to be a layer of paint and dust fumes in the air. And with more people working from home than ever before, you can’t get around this by having your workers start a little later in the mornings.

Your neighbors will understand that they have no say in the matter. Most people are fairly reasonable, and won’t hold it against you that you want to improve your unit. Keeping them in your good graces by getting them ready for your redesign is the considerate thing to do.

Once you have taken these steps, you will be ready for your redesign. Make sure you know exactly how you are going to deal with the dust!

Author: Josh Mishin

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