What we look for in Spotswood
Housing: Small Edwardian and interwar weatherboard homes on narrow blocks with low stumps, bordered by light industry, the rail line and a few newer townhouse infill projects.
Spotswood is a small pocket of Edwardian and interwar weatherboard homes on narrow blocks, with light industry to the east and the rail line dividing the residential area. The homes are mostly on stumps with low ground clearance, and many subfloors are cramped enough that earlier inspectors may have skipped parts of them. Where the inspector cannot fit, a borescope and moisture readings from above are used instead, and that is worth asking about. Bathroom leaks into the floor frame and side paths concreted above the vent line are the usual moisture sources. Blocks are small enough that a neighbour's untreated timber fence or an old tree stump next door is a realistic path to your house. Around Hudsons Road shops and Donald McLean Reserve there are mature trees, and land near the Yarra and the mouth of Stony Creek is low and damp. Owners should keep timber cladding above the soil, check the base of any shed and avoid stacking materials against the back wall.
We regularly inspect properties around Scienceworks, Spotswood Station, Hudsons Road shops and Donald McLean Reserve.