There are many items that are very common to see on a home inspection report on homes in southwest Florida on the waterfront. Most of these are not serious and often do not need to be addressed prior to the home purchase. Here is a short list:
Garage door rot: The side door exit from the garage will often have rot at the door jamb on the bottom with rot also on the frame in the same area. It happened on my garage door after it was replace within 7 years. Largely, a cosmetic item. There is something about the air flow that when the interior door opens a plume of air flows through the outside door and apparently traps moisture which causes the rot. Fifty percent of the homes seem to have this when inspected if not more.
Circuit Breaker: The most common siting on a circuit breaker box is double wiring a single breaker. This is against code and should be resolved by an electrician, normally a minor issue unless there is no other room for another breaker switch. On older homes (60’s-70’s) the worst case scenario with the breaker panel is if there is a Federal Pacific panel in place. They have been identified as possible fire hazards and insurance companies will not insure a house with this panel so the entire panel would need to be replaced.
Roof tile issues: Barrel tile roofs in particular often exhibit a few slipped or broken tiles. Its an easy fix to glue them back in place or to seal the crack. Cracks or slipped tiles may have occurred during a roof power washing. This issue normally does not cause a roof leak because the rubberized membrane beneath it is the actual water barrier.
Cracked interior floor tiles/foundation: Not uncommon for a few tiles to exhibit cracks which I have never seen to be related to a foundation issue. In fact, I have never seen a foundation issue which is a common worry up north.
Corrosion on water heater valves, under sink piping: About half the time the home inspector will site corrosion on copper fittings especially associated with the water heater and under sink plumbing fittings. Rarely, ever a major issue.
Cracks in exterior block walls/stucco: A very common observation that rarely is cause for concern. Most often the cracks follow the concrete mud line between the blocks. Primarily cosmetic and often the next time you paint the house you can fill in the cracks and paint over and they disappear. However, if cracks penetrate the actual block and travel through multiple rows than further investigation might be required.
Cracks on concrete and pool decks: You can expect this in most all houses and there is not much you can do about it and generally is not a worry. If located on the pool deck, if cracks involve the coping stones around the edge and cracks are observed in the pool than an expert should be called in.
Minor plumbing leaks: A common observation and often only requires a fitting to be snugged up. Of course, sometimes a faucet may need replaced as well. When an inspector traverses the house with a flashlight and inspects places we often don’t think about a minor leak here and there might be observed.
