Do condo associations limit what can be remodeled in a unit? (Chicago: for sale, 2015)

[squishy506]

I am planning to move to Chicago in 2015. I lived there in East Lakeview from 2005 to 2008. I plan to buy a condo about a year or two after moving back here. However, there is no way in hell I can ever afford what I want in a neighborhood along the Brown or Red Lines in the northside, so I was planning to buy a foreclosure or run-down prefab unit and add a bedroom and washer/dryer hookups if needed.

In my experience in Las Vegas, an HOA can sometimes (for stupid reasons) prevent an owner from adding w/d hookups. Is this something that I may run into in Chicago, or if I have the space, am I able to legally add any number of walls, doors, and plumbing fixtures that I need?

[snoylekim]

Check the by-laws of the places you're interested in once you start , and you'll need to check the electrical/gas/plumbing as well. Generally By laws will stipulate that the Condo association must approve certain types of remodeling , especially if alteration to common elements are involved. This could extend to providing proof of insurance and licensing for any contractors, review by the building engineer ( if it's a larger development) of the scope of work , permitted work hours, etc .
W/D hookup would seem to fit this , as plumbing and possibly gas hookups would be involved. If you go the electric dryer route, you'll probably need a 220/240 v hookup for that .

Answer is yes, they probably will require review and approval .

[squishy506]

I'm not afraid of approval. I was just wondering if it was common for certain improvements to be forbidden. What piqued my curiosity about it is a condo community in Vegas that doesn't allow washing machines in the units because their plumbing would have to be completely replaced, and the first floor units' floors would be destroyed in the process. Realizing that many condo buildings in Chicago still have laundry rooms in the common areas, I wondered if many of these buildings were under an HOA rule similar to this one in Vegas.

I'll be sure to inform my agent of any changes I need to make to my property so they can check with the HOAs for limitations.

[chet everett]

If anything I would expect the restrictions in Chicago to be FAR WORSE than in Vegas -- Chicago is notorius for having many items that are common in other areas forbidden -- garbage disposals, tankless water heaters, ventless gas fireplaces, various kinds of low voltage wiring for data, and even non-flame retardent window shades are all items that I personally have known to be prohibited by Chicago building codes...

The implications of many of these do have a valid rationale basis -- Chicago has combined sewers and big grease/ food backups would greatly increase the infestation of vermin, tight gangways between older frame buildings could easily make a nightmare for firefighters dealing with super heated gas appliances, older buildings with combined utility / data plenums could be fire hazard, etc...

Common sense should also be enough to understand why MOST condo buildings constructed w/o in-unit laundries are going to prohibit such modifications -- beyond the plumbing there are legitimate concerns about venting dryers and the associated vibrations of washing machines intruding on adjacent units.

[squishy506]

Yeah, the water being dumped into the sewer lines from a washer and the exhaust installation for a dryer sparked this concern of mine originally. That and the fact that all I can afford is a one or two bedroom, and I'd need a 2+den, so I wasn't sure if adding rooms was also prohibited. From the listings I see online that show multiple units in the same building, it looks like no one is adding rooms.

I'm also speculating that I'll have to buy a place in a smaller building because of the lower HOA fees, and from what I've seen online, those in my price range often have community laundry rooms with no w/d hookups in the unit for sale. I tend to forget I've done laundry, and my clothes stay in the washer for days. Also, the idea of owning a place and paying for laundry facilities doesn't really make sense to me. I feel the same way about parking. If I am going to keep a car indefinitely in the city, I'm going to want to own a spot.

I guess if there are no more comments about what is typical, I will just have to ask the agent when I am ready to buy.

[Lookout Kid]

It depends on the building. You often see restrictions on washer/dryer hookups in high-rise buildings with large numbers of units, as they can pose a problem for over-taxed plumbing stacks and often can't be vented properly. And if they leak, it affects unit owners below.

I lived in a three-story vintage walk up condo, and they required approval for washer/dryer hookups. But they nearly always approved them, as long as you weren't planning to vent the dryer out the front of the building through the nice face brick.

[ToriaT]

Yes my mom's condo restricts certain things...no in unit laundrys, and wood flooring was prohibited but they are changing that now.

[squishy506]

I can't imagine not having hardwood in Chicago. That's also a requirement of mine when I buy.