Sanford is one of the more interesting inspection markets in Central Florida right now, because it contains both the oldest housing in the region and some of the newest, often within a few minutes of each other.
The historic district holds houses that predate most of what surrounds them, and a great many are being renovated by buyers who recognized the value early. The quality of that renovation work varies enormously. Some of it is careful, permitted and properly done. Some of it is a weekend and an optimistic attitude. In older Sanford homes we concentrate on what is behind the finishes rather than the finishes themselves: drain lines that have been in the ground for the better part of a century, wiring that has been extended and re-extended across decades, structural modifications made to open up rooms, and roof framing that has been altered more than once.
Older houses also tend to have older systems in newer packaging, and it is worth knowing which is which. A recent-looking kitchen sitting on original supply and drain plumbing is common here and entirely fixable, provided you know about it before closing rather than after.
Chandler Inspections covers Sanford, Lake Mary and Longwood, and we are equally comfortable in a 1920s house and a 2020s one.
