What we look for in Kingsville
Housing: A small grid of interwar Californian bungalows and Edwardian weatherboards on timber or concrete stumps, with brick or rendered plinths and a few newer infill homes.
Kingsville is a small grid of interwar Californian bungalows and Edwardian weatherboards, most of them on timber or concrete stumps with a brick or rendered plinth around the base. The plinth is the main thing an inspector worries about here, because it hides the gap between the soil and the bearers and termites can travel up behind it without leaving a visible tube. Vents are often small and half blocked by paving that has been laid higher than the original ground level, which keeps the subfloor humid. Stony Creek runs along the northern side of the suburb, and the properties nearest the creek have wetter clay and more tree cover than those closer to Somerville Road. Many bungalows have had a bathroom or laundry moved to the back of the house, and plumbing from those works can leak under the floor for years unnoticed. Owners should keep bushes clear of the vents, fix any leaks quickly and ask for the subfloor to be physically entered.
We regularly inspect properties around Somerville Road shops, Stony Creek and Cruickshank Park.