Home Inspections on Waterfront Homes, What’s Important/What’s Not, Part 2
A home inspection in southwest Florida is an important part of the purchase process and there are many things to be concerned about and many things that are of much lesser importance.
First, the most important aspects of your home inspection will be items you would expect anywhere. The roof and A/C are first. Plumbing, the electrical panel (not the house wiring) and pool equipment would round out the Top 5 concerns from my perspective.
Items of much less worry will be: Structural integrity of the house, Chinese drywall (and American made drywall), Termite infestation/damage, roof integrity (for most tile roofs), cracks in the pool deck & driveway and walk ways, cracks in the house stucco/block and mold.
Structural integrity: In over 16 years in this business I have not seen any real problems with the common block home with a truss built roof. It was a big concern after Hurricane Charlie but in reality very few homes had structural issues, perhaps a tribute to the quality of construction here locally. Of course, the home inspector will go into the attic and look for issues and it remains an important part of the inspection.
Chinese Drywall (CD): The home inspector has been trained on what to look for and it is reasonably obvious if present but unlikely on most waterfront homes based on my sales. Overall, in Charlotte County Florida there were minimal incidences of CD back in the day. To our south where an extreme building boom was underway, CD became a common concern for about 2-3 years after Hurricane Charlie. Overall, CD leaves a distinctive smell in the house, causes corrosion on house wiring, A/C, etc and has simply not shown up very often since then. With that said, it is still an important component of the inspection process. The northern media has blown this way out of proportion.
Termite and Wood Destroying Insects (WDO): An important part of the inspection process during your “Due Dilligence” period, however the likelihood of having a serious problem with termites is very small. Block homes are not the favorite place for termites however it can happen. I have only seen some termite activity on wood structures outside the house. The termite guys will tell you there’s lots to worry about and of course, will sell you a plan. A service plan for insects of all types including termites will keep your house worry free and bug free if you have a quarterly treatment on an annual basis. Generally, there is a modest cost to the service or you can do it yourself.
Roof Problems: Most homes got a new roof in/around 2004-2005 so rarely does a roof have a major issue unless they were older. It is very important to have the roof inspected by the home inspector and call in a roofer if signs of water ingress are evident in the attic or elsewhere. It is very common to find a small leak and it happens on about 40% of the homes I have inspected. Usually, a minor fix regardless of a tile roof or shingle roof. Another common observation on tile roof’s are: broken tiles, slipped tiles. Generally, a minor fix and remember that the tile is not the true water barrier but the rubberized underlayment is. A cracked or slipped tile does not let the water in. More cosmetic but worthy of repair to protect the underlayment.
Cracks In The Concrete: You can expect to see cracks in the driveway surface and pool deck. This is a normal southwest Florida home inspection observation and some people get upset by it. With our sunny weather, comes some rain and then sunny weather. This condition will ultimately cause cracks in concrete. Not a problem and you will learn to live with it and will largely ignore it.
Cracks In The Stucco and Block: This is a common observation on about 40% of homes. Rarely is it a real problem and almost never a structural issue which would be the main concern other than cosmetic concerns. The cracks most often follow the grout line or cement line used to stick the blocks together. Sometimes a step wise crack working its way in a more vertical direction is most common. Rarely do you see cracks running straight through block but if that were observed it might be time for a structural engineer to consult on the issue, albeit very rare.
Mold: Mold is a scary word and certainly to be taken seriously. The media loves to hype this up but on a home that has been properly cared for it is very unlikely. Occurrences of mold most often take place when a home has been left unattended and a significant water event occurs (pipe breaks inside, hole in roof) and the home sits for months; then you have a problem. We still want to be aware of strange smells in the house and if we have concerns a mold “sniff test” can be performed at a reasonable cost.
More to come in Part 3 and down the road what to watch for on seawalls, docks, boat lifts, canals and exit areas into the harbor.
