Q.
Do we have to get approval from the city, building, or our neighbors about renovating work we want to do?
A.
“Legally, yes,” says Realtor Karen Norris, author of The Real Estate Survival Guide: Secrets, Tips and Lies From a Beverly Hills Super Agent. Log on to your state building permit site to get the right forms. For instance, in California, you’ll find it at California.com. For small jobs, you can probably get away with making changes without permits, but if someone turns you in (which usually only happens when a neighbor disputes the look of something you’re adding outside the house, like a fence, a shed, or, as we saw in Desperate Housewives, Lynette’s treehouse.). But expect to have to show both proof and permits for your work later if you want to sell the house.
-- Amy Spencer
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