Four Point Home Insurance Inspections

Unlike home inspections, four point inspections only apply to homes that are forty years or older. While home inspections take a couple of hours to complete, four point inspections can be done in about thirty minutes. These inspections only review four main aspects of a home: the roof, electrical system, plumbing, and HVAC.

Insurance Companies Request Four Point Inspections

When you’re looking to buy an older home, homeowner insurance companies oftentimes ask for a four point inspection, since the results will determine their willingness to cover the home. While there are several factors that can determine your eligibility when shopping for homeowner’s insurance—the year a structure was built is something to consider.

Remember that homeowner’s insurance is expensive down here in Florida. That’s due to all of the hurricane and flood risks that Florida homes are prone to.

You’ll Still Need a Home Inspection

Don’t think you’re out in the clear once you’ve completed a four point inspection. You’ll still need to have a general home inspection done. Home inspections can take anywhere from two to four hours, depending on the size of the property. It’s always a good idea to be present at your home inspection. You want to ask questions and see the condition of the home for yourself.

Home inspections normally mean that an inspector will check:

• Heating System
• Central air conditioning system
• Interior plumbing and electrical systems
• Roof
• Attic
• Floors
• Walls
• Ceilings
• Windows and Doors
• Foundation
• Basement
• Structural components

Buying Older Homes in South Florida

South Florida doesn’t offer too much room to build new homes. In our local housing market, we deal with homes that are a little on the older side, and there’s a lot of history that buyers are taking on—most of it good! Lots of older homes are more spacious and were designed with styles of architecture that reflected the time they were built in. While new homes are being built in Northwest and Southwest Broward and Dade, we’ve still got a nice stockpile of older homes.

Ratio of New to Older Homes in South Florida

According to the Census, of the 2.56 million homes on record in Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach counties—1.7 million of those were built in 1989 or prior to that. That means that about 66% of homes in Florida need or will soon be in need of a four point inspection.

You might find that alarming at first glance, but think of this: many older homes are sturdier than the quick high-rises built today. Not only that, if you look closely, many of the older homes built in the late ‘20s and ‘30s are incredibly valuable—fetching anywhere from $500,000 and all the way up to $1.2 million. Which means that besides their vintage charm, they’re good investments.