Why Termite Inspections Are Vital To Home Buying Experience

There is a lot of stress when buying a home. Even though it is exciting to think about all of the incredible benefits that lie in the future, there are still hurdles to overcome on the way to that bright future. If you’re making the move to buy a home, you’re going to have to consider many details that could make you miserable in your new home purchase. The last thing you need is to realize a year or two down the road that you purchased a money pit. You may discover that you have a mold problem and that you have to shell out three or more thousand dollars to have a certified professional inspect and treat your home–only to have the mold problem return over and over again. You may discover stains in a ceiling that leads to the discovery of a plumbing leak that will cost you thousands to repair or have you ripping your home apart piece by piece to figure out how far the damage reaches. Termite damage is a similar problem.

When termites attack a home, they come up from the ground and feed on wood. The wood they are most likely to feed on are support timbers. This can weaken those supports and create a cascading problem throughout the structure of a home. Over time, doors and windows will begin to stick or open and close freely, walls will begin to bulge, ceilings will sink down, and floors will have a dip or a slant. It can be incredibly difficult to fix this kind of damage, and it is the kind of damage that can plague a homeowner for as long as they own the property.

Once a home is showing signs of termite damage, it is more noticeable to certified home inspectors and the home becomes difficult to sell. That means you might be stuck with it or you may have to take a significant loss to get out of that money pit.

Before a home shows signs of termite damage, an inspector must rely on other, more subtle, signs of termite infestation. These signs can be easily missed, even by a certified home inspector. For this reason, many lenders require that a Certified Termite Inspection be done. If your lender does not, it falls on you to make the decision of whether or not a termite inspection is important.

Benefits Of A Termite Inspection

Subterranean termites can be extremely difficult to detect. These wood-destroying pests live in the ground or inside the wood they feed on. Worker termites rarely expose themselves to the air because it is harmful to them. A certified professional pest control technician is trained to identify the signs of a termite infestation and conditions that may lead to an infestation.
When you find evidence of termites before a purchase, you have the information you need to decide whether or not you’re willing to move forward with that purchase.
If you decide to move forward and buy a home that has had some termite damage, the cost of treating the termite infestation falls on the seller, not on you. And you’ll have guidance in what proactive methods are available to protect your investment from termite damage for the life of your home.
You can’t put a price tag on peace of mind. Termites are a billion dollar problem for property owners in the United States but it is a problem that can be prevented. It all starts with a proactive termite inspection before the sale.

After The Inspection

Once your home has been given the “all clear” sign, it is a good idea to make sure it continues to be free of termites. We highly recommend the installation of a termite monitor and bait system. This will make sure that these sneaky, wood-destroying pests are never allowed to feed on your home. Monitoring stations are checked periodically by a professional pest control technician to detect the presence of termites so you never have to find out that your investment has been compromised.

If you’re buying property in Kansas, reach out to Schendel Pest Services today to schedule a Termite Inspection. We’ll help you make the right choice, the first time.