The architect called Tuesday with some positive news. He had spoken to both the building department and the conservation authority about our situation to get their opinions on whether we could obtain the necessary variance for the addition and detached garage and, off the record, our chances look pretty good. He is now working on a detailed site plan that we will have to take to the adjustment committee, where our neighbours could conceivably oppose the plans. However, I would hope that the same neighbours that stood by while the previous owner built a completely illegal addition would appreciate that we are trying to improve our property, which in turn will raise their property values and give them something a little more aesthetically pleasing to look at.
I am a little concerned about starting the process already, considering we have only saved about a third of our garage budget. Remember, our original plan, which is now completely off the table, was to just build the garage first, and then build the addition in a few years. Now we are talking about doing everything at once, which means we have saved under 10%. The soonest I see us putting a shovel in the ground is about five years. If we get the approvals now, we would have to apply for extensions every year.
The last thing I want to do is go deeply into debt or take on a larger mortgage to pay for this construction. Staying disciplined will be a bit of a challenge once the plans are on paper. No doubt I will be tempted to make it happen sooner than we can afford.
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