When your home is part of a Homeowners Association, it can be either a blessing or a curse – or sometimes both. You can hear horror stories of overbearing HOAs that control the length of your grass down to the last 8th of an inch, but there are also plenty of HOAs that simply help to make the neighborhood better for everyone. If you belong to a Homeowners Association, staying on their good side makes it easier for you to exist peacefully and can also be useful when you need to ask for something or communicate with the board in any way.
So how can you make sure you’re doing the right thing?
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4 simple tips for HOw to stay on your hoa’s good side
Know the Rules
The first thing that you need to do is know the rules and bylaws of your HOA. This is ideally something that you look into when buying your home so that you know whether they are rules that you are willing to follow. You don’t want to be taken by surprise when you want to make a change to your home or make any other decisions that could break the rules.
Don’t assume that there’s anything that could be off-limits.
Your HOA might tell you what type of car you’re allowed to have, what color your house can be, and whether you’re allowed to have a pool.
Keep on Top of Landscaping
One of the big things for HOAs is keeping the neighborhood looking smart. This includes having nicely landscaped yards, both at the front and back of every house. Staying on top of landscaping isn’t always easy, but it’s often one of the most important things if you belong to an HOA. It can be helpful to use a landscape maintenance service to take care of your landscaping for you.
It will help you to keep everything neat and carry out different types of maintenance at the right time of year.
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Be Involved
Getting involved in your Homeowners Association is a smart idea. By communicating with the board and other members of the association, you can stay up to date on what’s happening and make your voice known too. If you want to be involved with your HOA, attending the meetings is probably the best way to do it. When they take place and what can be talked about will differ depending on your location and specific HOA, but attending can give you the chance to know what’s happening and to put your own thoughts across if necessary.
Seek Approval Before Making Changes
If you want to make any significant changes to the exterior of your home, seeking approval from the HOA board is likely to be the smart thing to do. This will ensure that you can’t face any consequences later, and is sure to help if a neighbor complains. Even if you have checked the rules and can’t find anything relevant, it’s a good idea to seek approval so you know you’re in the clear.
Being in an HOA can be beneficial for you, but it’s also important to follow the rules if you want to make the most of it.
Kori
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