If I was to ask you, as a homeowner what is your biggest financial investment? It wouldn’t surprise me if your response would be your home. Yet, I’m willing to bet that you take better care of your car, boat or even your computer by having routine maintenance performed on these properties, while your home is a ticking financial time bomb.

For most homeowners the idea of having a routine home inspection is not even on the radar. Usually the home gets inspected at the time of purchase and then “out of sight, out of mind.” It wouldn’t surprise me if some day in the future as homes become “Smart” a “Check Engine” light will pop up to alert you of a potential issue in your home.  Unfortunately for now the homes need to rely on their homeowners being “Smart.”

If you live anywhere in south Florida then you know that for the better part of the year we are dealing with Humidity, Heat and Rain. The 3 elements needed to produce mold. An issue very commonly found during home inspections and homeowners rarely know of the presence of it or the health effects related to it. Your home should be inspected for mold on a yearly basis.

If your home has a crawl space it should be inspected at least every 3 years and sooner if there has been heavy down pours with flooding. The chances of rotting wood, mold, leaky pipes and plumbing issues should be of great concern.

Both the interior and exterior of your home should be inspected at least every 5 years to include: Roofs, Siding, Woods, Decks, Water Intrusion, Plumbing, Electrical and Attics. I also recommend that the inspector utilizes a thermal imaging camera to look into the wall boards, rugs and other areas that a normal visual inspection would be limited to. Sink holes are also very common in south Florida and produce hidden damage that can be detected during a home inspection.

The tell, tell signs are there and it’s up to you the homeowner to be “Smart” enough to protect your biggest investment. Your homeowners’ insurance policy is there to protect you against unexpected disasters but it’s also there to be utilized if a home inspection finds hidden damages that should be immediately addressed to restore and prevent a potential disaster. In fact, it’s your duty to do so per your insurance policy. Your insurance carrier would rather pay $10,000 now than $25,000 later.

The average home inspection fee can be anywhere from $300 to $1,000 depending on the size of the home and the scope of the inspection.

Cavalry Public Adjusters, provide home inspections FREE of charge. Professional and quality home inspections with top of the line tools and equipment. Yes, thermal imaging cameras. All FREE to you the homeowner and if an inspection finds hidden damage, Cavalry Public Adjusters offer FREE consultation and policy review to assist the homeowner with the proper course of action.

Cavalry Public Adjusters… The “Smart” choice.