Ah, home inspections…one of the final steps on your path to owning a home in Coronado. You’ve navigated the home searching process, championed the negotiations, and are just a few steps away from having those keys in your hand.
One of which is the home inspection.
In many ways, a home inspection in Coronado mirrors a home inspection anywhere in the country. The buyer brings in an inspector. The inspector reviews the property for any safety issues and the occasional health concern.
They will walk through the property evaluating items such as:
- Foundations,
- Plumbing,
- Electricity,
- And roofing.
It’s fairly status quo.
But alas, Coronado always has a few variances from the traditional market.
As you know, on Coronado we have a land shortage. There will always be more people who want to live here than there is land. This has created a culture of buyers who plan to renovate or remodel a home. Many times this includes adding elements. At times, it also means removing an existing older structure to rebuild.
If you are one of those buyers, then there will be a few extra steps in your home inspection process. Most of these should be completed prior to putting in your offer, but if not, they should definitely be completed during the inspection.
First is to confirm the zoning. Coronado has several different zoning areas, each with their own regulations. Not every property zoning in Coronado allows for blanket additions, teardowns, or building dual properties. Community planning groups are currently reviewing some regulations.
If you’re already to the inspection phase, at minimum understand what the regulations are in your zone, as well as if that zone is being discussed at the community level. It would also be a good time to confirm that you can get the appropriate permits for any additions you would like to build.
There are two other nuances with zoning to look out for.
The first correlates directly with the age of the property. Any property over 75 years of age requires a special Historical Resource or Demo Permit for certain remodeling. These permits need to be approved by the city. There is no guarantee for approval when remodeling the older homes.
The second is for rentals.
Currently, Coronado is home to several legal nonconforming rentals. These are homes that were purchased and used as rentals in a zone that allowed for renting. As time progressed, these areas were down-zoned, no longer allowing for property rentals. As existing rentals, they were grandfathered in. That pass doesn’t apply to a new owner.
Particularly with zoning, there are several nuances to be aware of depending on what you want to do with your new property.
When you choose one of our experienced ParkLife Realtors®, know they will walk you through all aspects of the home-buying process. This includes verifying prior to buying that you can realize all your dreams on a property. Permits, zoning and more, we want all of our clients to be informed throughout the entire process.
