The Cost of Home Ownership in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte
One of the most important considerations when choosing a town to buy a home in is what is the real cost to own the home. In Southwest Florida there are a few unique considerations that other areas don’t have. The common points for anywhere are taxes and insurance. For Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte the taxes are reasonable compared to many areas (such as the northeast) considering that your backyard is the Gulf of Mexico and Charlotte Harbor. However, if you are from the mid-west in farm country you may have a different opinion about our taxes.
For insurance, most think our insurance rates are reasonable for home insurance (which includes a hurricane deductible) and flood. A lot of misinformation is floating around in the northern U.S. regarding excessive insurance costs and for the most part that is not true. We will be sure of your exact insurance costs during the purchase process and build in a “right of rescission” clause in case they are excessive. For the record in 15 years of selling waterfront homes in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, I have not had anyone back out of a deal because of insurance costs. We will check into the flood elevation and discover actual flood insurance costs and secure quotes on homeowners so there are no surprises after the home purchase.
Other costs of home ownership include the following unless you elect to do these tasks yourself:
Lawn cut/trim/blowing: Around $100 per month on average. More or less of course depending on lawn size. Tree trimming and bushes, etc. are an additional charge.
Pool Maintenance: There are different programs around but most go with 4 times a month a chemical check and balance and twice a month the pool is brushed. This is generally around $100 per month.
Pest Treatment: Many of us chose to have a professional exterminator come around either quarterly or 6 times a year. This keeps your property free of bugs and your house totally free of insects as well. These prices vary as some will include lawn fertilization and plant feeding which is really nice to have. I am with a program of bug, lawn and plant care at 6 times per year at a cost of about $65-$75 per treatment. These companies will normally come over on a moment’s notice if you call because of seeing some bugs inside at no charge. If one spider shows up in our house, my wife calls the same day and normally they are out the next day.
Power Washing: Something you would not think of as routine maintenance on a house but living on the waterfront has a few special needs. Over time your lanai cage, roof and other areas will develop algae or mold that slightly discolors the appearance. Completely for aesthetic purposes most have their home power washed once a year. The cost is a function of what you have done and varies with each house. You could have your docks, driveway and lanai deck power washed as well.
These are the main costs of ownership. Often, when people are considering a condo because it is thought they are much easier to maintain with a lot less expense they find home ownership is less expensive compared to the cost of condo association fees. I have always felt the services identified above were very reasonably priced for what you get and a lot less than where I came from in Maryland.
