Design Guidelines

Did you know that when you sign the offer and acceptance for land in a new development, it is more than likely that you are signing on to abide by a list of rules as to how your house will be built?

These are called Design Guidelines.  Essentially, they derive from the Master Plan for the entire development and convey how the planners want the community to look, feel and function.  The Design Guidelines often state what colours and materials you can have for your front elevation.  They can also include directions for where your garage needs to be located and, in some cases, include sustainability obligations such as there being no gas to the property or a requirement for electric vehicle chargers to be installed.

It’s important to note that these guidelines are not being imposed by your Builder; we simply need to make sure that your plans, specification and pre-start selections all comply .  In most cases, your Builder will need to submit for Developers Approval (to ensure that your home complies with their guidelines) before it can be submitted for a building permit.  It is also important to note that complying with the guidelines may incur extra costs.

As with all contracts, it comes down to doing your due diligence at the outset.  Ask the land sales representative what the Design Guidelines entail and make sure you are comfortable with them before signing on.