SO YOU WANT TO RENOVATE!

One of the most satisfying aspects of owning your own home is being able to personalize it by redecorating and remodeling to suit your personal needs and style. Whether you decide to renovate as soon as you buy the unit or at a later time, this page provides you with the information necessary to get the renovation done within the rules and requirements of the Markland Woods Condominium Association.

BASIC INFORMATION

  1. The Markland Woods Second Amended and Restated Declaration (CC&Rs) dated 2/6/2024 and the House Rules dated 7/1/2024 contain important information regarding renovation of units. Please see CC&Rs 11.5.6, 11.5.8, 11.11.1 and House Rules Sections F, J, and T for more information before starting any work.

  2. You will need to notify the Board of any renovations you want to make to any unit component that involves more than surface treatments, paint, carpet, or appliance replacements, and fill out the COA required forms before any work starts. This is required even if you will be doing the work yourself (DIY).

  3. Installation of heat pumps or mini splits, new kitchen or bathroom vents through walls or roofs, and installation of new windows on exterior walls mean that equipment and components will be installed in areas that are outside of the unit and in areas that are the responsibility of the COA. Any type of modification that results in changes to areas that are the responsibility of the COA and not the unit owner amay not be approved by the Board.

  4. Any non-emergency (i.e. fire or flood) work that would require access to or modification of any equipment, systems, or components of any adjacent unit will not be approved. (Temporarily turning off water to the stack containing your unit is not considered modification.)

  5. Certain types of renovations require permits from the City of Mountlake Terrace. Owners are solely responsible for researching, obtaining, and paying for all permits that may be required for work. Information is available at the City’s websites:

    https://www.cityofmlt.com/1993/Permits-Licenses

    https://www.cityofmlt.com/DocumentCenter/View/21045/Construction-Permit-Frequently-Asked-Questions

  6. Contractors must be instructed to park in your assigned parking spot or in Visitor spaces while work is being done, or you need to make arrangements with neighbors to use their parking space(s) if they are closer to your unit.

  7. ALL RENOVATION MATERIALS OF ANY KIND MUST BE DISPOSED OF OFF-SITE DAILY. This includes, without limitation, paint, carpet, millwork, doors, appliances (including toilets, washing machines, hot water heaters, refrigerators, and all electronic devices), fixtures, drapes, blinds, mirrors, flooring pieces, wire, nails, slider screens, storm doors, furniture, etc. These items must be disposed of off-site. No exceptions.

  8. NO STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS ARE ALLOWED UNTIL A STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING REVIEW AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REVIEW (if applicable) HAS BEEN DONE AND BOARD APPROVAL OBTAINED. This includes, without limitation, adding a pass-through, knocking out walls, eliminating closets, opening up underneath interior stairways, or any other changes to existing wall placement and configuration or other structural elements that are not mentioned here.

  9. Other major alterations involving internal unit plumbing and electrical changes, additions, or relocation may require both permits and inspection by a licensed electrician or plumber to be sure your circuit breaker panel and metered lines are sufficient to carry the load. This includes, without limitation, installing overhead microwaves, adding or moving outlets, adding hard-wired equipment (alarms, security systems, additional appliances, etc.), making changes to pipes inside walls, and other additions, removals, or modifications that are not mentioned here.

  10. If you want to install hard surface flooring in place of existing carpet in upper-level units, approval from the downstairs unit owner will be required. Please see the CC&Rs and House Rules for more details (page 18, Section J).

  11. If work will involve noise, notify your neighbors ahead of time.

  12. Noisy work may only be done during normal business hours, 8am until 6pm. Hand work only (no power tools or air compressors) and cleaning may be done except during quiet hours (10pm until 7am). Vacuuming can be done up until 10:00pm, and then has to stop, along with laundry and running the dishwasher.

  13. If doing the work yourself, please plan on only working 5 or 6 days a week. Give your neighbors a break at least one day per week.

  14. Board approval of structural modifications for one unit owner does not guarantee different unit owners will also be granted permission for the same modification. The 4, 9, and 13 unit buildings often have different structural and system requirements even if units appear identical and are in the same location as similar units in other buildings.

CONDOMINIUM RENOVATION PROCESS

There are steps to be followed, and different forms needed for different modification requests.

WINDOWS

1. Send the MARKLAND WOODS COA REQUIREMENTS FOR WINDOW REPLACEMENT/UPGRADE AAMA TYPE INSTALL form to your contractor to be sure they will adhere to the requirements and will agree to sign the agreement. No work will be approved without the signed agreement from the contractor. The form is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/135FNem6OBWSumu4gm7q6PQbRvitFdpbq/view?usp=drive_link

2. Fill out the MARKLAND WOODS CONDOMINIUMS UNIT RENOVATION REQUEST FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL and send it along with the signed Requirements form to Tom Gish, Jr. He will send the forms to the Board for review. The form is available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h475W82ZzoBVPi6ajbZlyCA39C8OWUV5

3. Reviews may take up to 30 days to process. No work should be scheduled until you know the work has been approved. Tom will contact you when the Board has made its decision.

4. Be sure that the contractor knows that new windows and sliders are to match existing. Some windows are 9-grid, some are 6-grid, and your windows need to match all other windows and sliders in your unit. If the grids do not match, you will be required to replace the windows so they do match.

DOORS AND STORM DOORS

  1. Storm doors must be white. In addition to the Unit Renovation Request form, please submit a photo of the storm door you would like to install. More information is on this form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ERy88BPrnW22oatqpkzOfRsxnRYIAC_Y/view?usp=drive_link

  2. The front door needs to substantially match all other exterior doors in the building in terms of design.

  3. Door colors are standardized. Each building has either Polished Mahogany or Vineyard Green trim, and all doors in a building must match the building trim. If you wish to paint the door yourself, check with Tom Gish, Jr. at Port Gardner Management. Paint may be available through the COA.

KITCHENS

  1. The most popular request is to take out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room to create a large open space. An accredited structural engineer must be hired to do the inspection and evaluation. A general contractor’s inspection is not valid for this request. The structural engineer’s report needs to be sent to Tom Gish, Jr. along with the Unit Renovation Request form for Board review.

  2. Installation of an overhead microwave requires an electrician’s inspection as well as a contractor’s inspection to insure the proposed location can handle the weight as well as the additional electrical load, and the relocation or addition of outlets that may be required. The inspection reports need to be sent to Tom Gish, Jr. along with the Unit Renovation Request form for Board review.

  3. Rearranging the location of appliances requires an electrician’s inspection as well as a contractor’s inspection to insure the proposed locations do not interfere with plumbing or electrical systems to adjacent units, and need to state whether relocation or addition of electrical outlets may be required. If a dishwasher is to be moved a plumbing inspection is also needed. The inspection reports need to be sent to Tom Gish, Jr. along with the Unit Renovation Request form for Board review. Any permits required for the work are the unit owner’s sole responsibility. (See above for the permit link.)

BATHROOMS

  1. A standard bathroom renovation which replaces like for like, or involves only swapping out a tub for a walk-in shower and does not involve moving toilets, sinks, tubs, or fittings usually will not present difficulties in terms of approvals. If there are unique components or characteristics in your renovation plan, call these out in your Unit Renovation Request form.

  2. If you intend to move or install new faucets, additional shower heads or sinks, a spa tub, or any other bathroom component that requires either moving existing plumbing or adding new plumbing, an accredited plumber’s inspection is required. It should include information about the potential impact on adjacent units of such work. The report needs to be sent to Tom Gish, Jr. along with the Unit Renovation Request form for Board review.

FLOORING

  1. Replacement of like-for-like flooring does not require approval. Carpet in originally carpeted areas can be replaced without submitting a Unit Renovation Request form. The same goes for hard surface flooring. Kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms with hard surface flooring do not need approval for replacement with an equivalent hard surface material (i.e., luxury vinyl plank for laminate, laminate for linoleum, etc.). Please check the CC&Rs and House Rules for additional Hard Surface Flooring requirements, restrictions, and obligations, including sound transmission requirements.

  2. The use of ceramic or stone tile instead of laminate or luxury vinyl plank in 2nd and 3rd floor kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms requires the written approval of your downstairs neighbor as well as Board approval. The written approval from your neighbor needs to be sent to Tom Gish, Jr. along with the Unit Renovation Request form for Board review. Please check the CC&Rs and House Rules for additional Hard Surface Flooring requirements, restrictions, and obligations, including sound transmission requirements.

  3. Installation of any hard surface flooring to replace carpet requires the written approval of your downstairs neighbor as well as Board approval. The written approval from your neighbor needs to be sent to Tom Gish, Jr. along with the Unit Renovation Request form for Board review. Please check the CC&Rs and House Rules for additional Hard Surface Flooring requirements, restrictions, and obligations, including sound transmission requirements.

OTHER COMPONENTS

PATIO EXTENSIONS

  1. No permanent ground floor patio extensions are permitted. The unit owner’s control of a Limited Common Element patio ends at the edge of the concrete pad, and all area beyond that pad is Common Area which is the responsibility of the COA.

  2. The 1 ft (12 in.) clear area around the perimeter of each building is a drip line and the landscape drains run under the ground there, along with irrigation lines. No digging whatsoever is permitted within that one foot line, or beyond into the lawn areas.

  3. If you wish to put plants on your patio or in the drip line, they must be in containers that are easy for maintenance and landscaping crews to move as needed.

  4. The COA will not be responsible for any damage to plants or decor that are placed beyond the edge of the concrete pad, and any such decor is subject to being moved by maintenance and landscaping crews.

DECK AND DECK RAILINGS

  1. Permission is required for modifying the private Limited Common Use Element deck and railing assigned to your unit. The COA is responsible for maintaining these elements, and modifications that might cause deterioration, or prevent easy access to the deck and railing for painting, inspections, routine cleaning, and other maintenance are prohibited.

  2. Submit a Unit Renovation Request form to Tom Gish, Jr. if you are contemplating screening in your deck, adding tile or carpet to the deck surface, installing semi-permanent rolling blinds or awnings, cutting a gate into your railing (if you have a ground floor unit with a patio rail), or making any other changes to your deck. He will submit it to the Board for approval.

  3. No changes to deck or walkway railing paint colors or style of the deck railing rails, baluster, or brackets is permitted.

  4. Please review the CC&Rs and House Rules for information on decor placement, restrictions, and safety considerations.