When people start to think about buying a home, the first thing on their minds is not usually maintenance. People are considering price, location, size, backyard space, and so forth. It does not usually come until much later into the home-buying process when someone starts thinking about home inspections and maintenance issues begin to arise.
Why are home inspections so important? Well, home inspections reveal many problems that are not seen by the naked eye. If these problems continue to go undetected, it could mean thousands of dollars of repairs and even worse, endangerment of the homebuyers.
Home inspections go beyond just looking at the most frequently used areas of a home. Home inspectors look at attics, crawlspaces, and other uncommon and infrequently accessed places on your property. These unused areas are prime locations for water damage, pests and terminates, electrical issues, plumbing, insulation, and structural injury.
Fort Lauderdale homebuyers and owners need to be extra cautious when it comes to getting their homes and property inspected. This is because the climate in Florida is very distinct and thus, homes in the state are subject to a much wider range of weather-related damages. This is especially true in Fort Lauderdale and the South Florida region, where homes are hit hard during hurricane season each year.
If you are moving from outside of the state of Florida, it is important to consider the issues that a warm and moist climate can cause to homes. This is why home inspections are a vital part of the home buying process. They give a give a complete picture of what problems are present on the property and how to fix them.
Hiring a property management company saves you time, money, and stress as a property owner when it comes to dealing with maintenance emergencies and inspections. A good property management company will take the responsibility off of the landlord and attend to the maintenance of your property and handle any issues that arise.
If you are a property owner in Fort Lauderdale or in the South Florida region, hiring a property management company, means you do not have to be worrying about how you are going to fix problems caused by the unpredictable weather patterns. Furthermore, many property management companies, like Mayfair Property Management, LLC will conduct property inspections for you as well.
At Mayfair Property Management, LLC we are there to handle maintenance issues on your property. We conduct inspections upon move-in and move-out that include documentation of the property’s condition and ensure all maintenance issues are addressed in a timely manner.
Home inspections should be a routine part of the property buying and owning process. In this article, we will discuss a few of the most common issues that are found during home inspections. We will be focusing in on three that particularly affect homes in the state of Florida.
Water damage – When it comes to wood and wood-based products, the climate of Florida is extremely unfavorable. Wooden doors without any type of rain protection are some of the most vulnerable parts of a home to rain damage. Furthermore, siding that is in contact with the grade or poorly protected siding and trim can be wrecked because of severe water damage.
You may not have guessed it, but stucco homes are actually extremely vulnerable to water damage. This is because if the stucco cracks and allows water to access the frame beneath, the stucco conceals the damage being done to the wood. Therefore, the wood framing damage on stucco homes can be very serious, and no one would know the wiser.
Damaged, aging or leaky roofs – The humid and moist climate of Florida and the heavy rains are brutal on roofing materials. The best materials to use when building a durable roof in south Florida are metal panels and concrete tiles.
Many homes in Fort Lauderdale have shingles, which although beautiful, they are practically guaranteed to be dislodged and damaged soon after they are installed. The main culprit for shingle roof damage is the very hot Florida sun. Experts say a shingle roof will only last around fifteen years in Florida.
Air conditioning – Unlike other areas in the country, air conditioning systems in Florida can make or break if a home is livable. People in Florida have their air conditioners running ten months out of the year more than anywhere else in the United States.
However, despite how necessary air conditioning systems are in Florida, they often do not receive the routine maintenance that they require. Did you know that the number one reason air conditioning systems experience problems is due to poor maintenance and not mechanical failure? Well, it is true!
Simple things like checking and changing the filter regularly and getting your air conditioner serviced annually can keep your system up and running for a long time. A property management company will make sure filters are being changed, and inspections are routinely done so you won’t have to sweat it.