January 15, 2026 at 6:35 am

Homeowner Isn’t Allowed To Demolish The Exterior Of Their Home Since It’s A Landmark, So They Do Some Strategic Interior Remodeling To Get Their Way

by Jayne Elliott

interior of building with walls and windows removed

Shutterstock/Reddit

Imagine buying a home that is considered a landmark. That could be pretty awesome, but it’d be really annoying if the home’s landmark status meant you couldn’t remodel it the way you wanted to.

In this story, we hear about a homeowner who was in that exact situation. Instead of fighting to get a permit for construction, they decided to let mother nature help them out.

Let’s read all about it.

Couldnt demolish; could renovate.

There was a house in my town that was vacant and in really bad shape.

The planning department considered it a landmark and therefore they wouldn’t allow demolition but only interior renovation

So the owner did some strategic interior renovations.

So the owner began renovation by removing all interior walls and all upper story windows.

Then they mysteriously had some cash flow problems and work stopped.

The owner got their wish.

Eventually we had a bad storm and the entire structure came down.

No permits are needed to clean up storm damage.

Problem solved.

Vacant land is now usable.

That’s one creative way of getting what you want.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

Here’s a way contractors try to save money on building permits.

Screenshot 2025 12 19 at 2.06.58 PM Homeowner Isnt Allowed To Demolish The Exterior Of Their Home Since Its A Landmark, So They Do Some Strategic Interior Remodeling To Get Their Way

Here’s another reason some homeowners try to call a demolition a renovation.

Screenshot 2025 12 19 at 2.08.11 PM Homeowner Isnt Allowed To Demolish The Exterior Of Their Home Since Its A Landmark, So They Do Some Strategic Interior Remodeling To Get Their Way

This is a good point.

Screenshot 2025 12 19 at 2.07.15 PM Homeowner Isnt Allowed To Demolish The Exterior Of Their Home Since Its A Landmark, So They Do Some Strategic Interior Remodeling To Get Their Way

Apparently, the tactic used in this story can really backfire.

Screenshot 2025 12 19 at 2.07.31 PM 1 Homeowner Isnt Allowed To Demolish The Exterior Of Their Home Since Its A Landmark, So They Do Some Strategic Interior Remodeling To Get Their Way

This is another way to get rid of a house.

Screenshot 2025 12 19 at 2.07.52 PM Homeowner Isnt Allowed To Demolish The Exterior Of Their Home Since Its A Landmark, So They Do Some Strategic Interior Remodeling To Get Their Way

There are a lot of loopholes when it comes to home renovations.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.