we always wanted a cottage on the water

In the 28 years of performing home inspections, the story does not change much. Purchasers focus on the ambiance of living on the water. A place to relax not too far from home and yes it all sounds appealing, but what about the crawl space.? The part of the home inspection that matters the most. That waterfront living that you come to enjoy on those stressful days often times will migrate into the crawl space and cause structural issues to the home. The majority of cottages will have some level of wood damage in the crawl space and of course it is due to the location. When it comes to a home inspection though, the crawl space is where the rubber meets the road.  Not all home inspectors go into the crawl space! Many buyers will overlook issues with electrical, plumbing, heating/cooling etc. to have that vacation home.