What we look for in Newport
Housing: Edwardian weatherboards and Californian bungalows near the station and Melbourne Road, post-war brick veneer to the west, and townhouses on subdivided blocks throughout.
Newport has Edwardian weatherboards and Californian bungalows near the station and along Melbourne Road, with post-war brick veneer to the west and recent townhouses on subdivided blocks. Newport Lakes, a former quarry turned bushland reserve, sits in the middle of the suburb with dense eucalypts and damp low ground, and nearby homes are checked with that in mind. The inspector's first task on the older homes is the subfloor, where timber stumps have often been replaced only where they were obviously failing and the rest remain. Bungalows with solid brick bases and small vents are prone to humid subfloors that suit termites. Timber fences along back lanes, sleeper-edged vegetable patches and firewood stacks are the outdoor items most often found active. Near the Newport Workshops the ground is heavy clay, and blocks are level so surface water sits after rain. Owners renovating should insist on treated timber for pergolas, keep the deck bearers off the ground and have the inspector enter the subfloor rather than look in from the hatch.
We regularly inspect properties around Newport Lakes, Newport Workshops, Newport Station and Melbourne Road shops.