Are you considering an addition to your home? While it is your property, you may not have the liberty to complete the addition as you want to. This is because local and state regulations may make it illegal for you to add on to your home in a way that encroaches on your neighbor's property or crosses certain boundaries. The laws in each state and county can be different, and can concern different aspects of the addition.

For example, in locations where the homes use a septic tank, you may be restricted from having more than four or five bathrooms in a home. Additions also may affect the septic line, and therefore may be out of the question. It is very important that you research the way that an addition would affect your plumbing and electrical in the home and that this will be feasible and legal.

You will also want to make sure that your addition does not encroach on your neighbor's space. Even additions that simply take up room all the way to your property border can be illegal. If neighbor's believe that your home improvement project is getting a little too close for comfort, they may have the liberty to sue. This is because most neighborhoods have something known as setback restrictions. These laws govern how close a structure can get to the property line. Setback restrictions may also concern height restrictions, building area ratios, historic-district preservation ordinances and design covenants.

You should have been informed of all setback restrictions when you purchased a particular piece of property. If your real estate attorney lied to you and said that an addition would be no problem when the setback restrictions made it impossible, then you may have the right to sue that real estate attorney for dishonesty when selling you the property. If you want more information about adding onto your home, don't hesitate to contact a local real estate firm right away for more information!