Spring is typically short in Southern California. The first 80-degree day has come and gone and the first 90-degree day is already predicted next week. That means it is officially outdoor living weather–so get the grill going and check out the sales on pool toys, trunks or suits and towels.
Spring is also when the home selling and buying season starts in earnest with the end of the school year in sight. For some buyers, the outside amenities are as important as the indoor priorities: kitchen, dining and living areas; bedrooms to bathrooms ratio; storage closets, etc.
What’s does your dream outdoor living space vision look like: view lot, pool, patio, barbecue, dining area, bar with big screen TV, lawn, flower or vegetable or herb garden, lily or fish pond, kids playhouse and swing set, dog run? How about a changing room or a pool cabana house?
As buyers look at homes, sometimes the home with a terrific outdoor space is the deal-sealer. That’s goes for new construction too, whether the lot is in a rolling hill community with terraced lots or a custom lot cut high into a steep hillside with a view that goes forever with city lights.
At Helfrich Associates, we’re structural engineers. We specialize in helping existing home buyers and new construction home buyers make sure what they’re buying is built on solid ground in our earthquake prone region. We’re also experts in making sure existing construction or new construction has been or will be built to code for true peace of mind.
The value of existing homes or new properties is based on the land underneath them and the home’s structural integrity. For example if you want to buy an older mid-century home, it might not have been built to today’s more stringent standards and that can lead to problems later on.
With new custom home projects, picking the right lot in the right location can be tricky. For example, is the soil on the lot and the rock beneath it capable of holding the added weight and stress of adding a patio, infinity pool and covered structure (and during a moderate earthquake)?
This is where Helfrich Associates can help you determine before you buy what is the real cost of renovating or upgrading an existing classic home to code for your dream outdoor living area. Sometimes, knowing the true cost of modernizing a classic property doesn’t always pencil out.
New custom home buyers often think they’re avoiding the costs associated with renovation, but new construction can be a slippery slope too. When hillside view lots are a consideration, we’ll help you determine what type of structural supports might be necessary and the additional cost.
We’re also often called in by lenders, insurance companies and attorneys to confirm that a lot is suitable for building (construction insurance) and will pass municipal codes. Or when there is slippage already, we provide solutions that stabilize properties (loss mitigation or prevention).
If your potential new home or potential new construction lot is of concern, call Helfrich Associates first before you call the architect, the landscape designer, the patio and pool contractors, etc. We’ll help you start off on the right foot to make the right decisions.
We’ve conducted hundreds of site reviews and surveys with decades plus of experience for home owners and associations, rental property complexes and commercial building sites. We’ll tell you what has to be done to keep you on solid ground and avoid any nightmare scenarios.
We ask the right questions: (1) Does your lot size and topography match your backyard vision, (2) how about sun versus shade or partial shade, (3) electrical and gas utilities and lines, (4) add a solar patio cover to keep it all green, (5) drainage considerations; (6) lighting and fountains; and (7) contractors, plans, permits, insurance and city or county building approvals.
You’ll sleep better at night when you call Helfrich Associates before you buy that classic view home or that pristine lot for custom home construction. No matter how romantic the architecture or the twinkling city lights, you’re better off if you let us help you look before you leap.