What we look for in Altona
Housing: Post-war weatherboards and brick veneer on stumps across most streets, interwar homes near the Pier Street shops, and townhouses on slabs replacing older beach houses.
Altona runs from the beach and the Pier Street shops back to Cherry Lake and the wetlands, and the ground shifts from sand near the foreshore to heavy clay further inland. Post-war weatherboards and brick veneer homes on stumps dominate, with some interwar houses near the shops and a growing number of townhouses on slabs. Near the beach the inspector watches for damp subfloors caused by the high water table and for timber fences and decks that have been patched rather than replaced. Further inland, the risk is more about clay that stays wet, established gardens and the many timber sleepers used for raised beds and edging. Older brick veneer homes commonly have a laundry at the back with a slab or verandah that was enclosed later, and the join between the two floor types is a favourite entry point. Cherry Lake and the surrounding reserves carry plenty of dead timber. Owners should keep the ground at the base of the house dry, keep vents clear and have the subfloor entered fully.
We regularly inspect properties around Altona Beach, Altona Pier, Pier Street shops and Cherry Lake.