Friday, November 26, 2010

Break out the Champagne!

The Ugly Duckling passed inspection!

The inspectors [2 - one for the usual stuff, the other for WDO aka termites and friends] didn't uncover anything unexpected and had plenty of great affirmations for us: the Ugly Duckling has a solid foundation, no structural issues and everything else is pretty much "cosmetics". There is some old termite damage but then again it's a 91 year old wooden house in Florida - 'nuff said.

Our inspector was literally beaming with pride when he realized what we'd learned from our first experience with him and the Triplex. Hearing him repeat the phrase "So much better than ..." when poking and prodding the Ugly Duckling made me grow an inch or two as well - we did good this time! It is possible to be excited about a property and still be open to noticing all those pitfalls that can indicate trouble with a capital "T":
  • rolling "waves" in the floor
  • lopsided stairs
  • doors that don't close
  • doors that close but leave uneven gaps between the frame
Don't just brush these things off with a nonchalant "It's an old house" or call it "character" or "charming". The are signs that your house's foundation is out of whack - been there, done that - lesson learned! So wear those flat shoes and crawl underneath your house - it's worth it!

The Ugly Duckling has a sound foundation and no structural issues. It needs some electrical and plumbing repairs and updates and a lot of love which is to be expected for an almost 100 year old house with a couple of years of delayed maintenance.

The most important thing is that it's healthy and that we're one step closer to making it truly ours! Woot!

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