Buying a home is a very stressful process, especially in a hot real estate market. In most cases, before the house is taken off the market, buyers and their agents have less than a day to decide whether or not to make an offer. In the current real estate market, a lot of buyers are confused about what truly makes a deal-breaker offer.
Termites are pretty common in used properties. Termite history should not automatically discourage you from purchasing a property, as we will demonstrate in this post. But, it does mean that there are some things to speculate about and investigate before closing. If you want to inspect your home for termites, contact Pointe Pest Control.
Should you consider buying a home with a termite history?
There are apparently three distinct types of homes: ones that termites currently infest, those that are infested now, and ones that will eventually get infested. In the long run, a wood-frame house is bound to become infested with termites eventually.
A number of properties on the market, especially ones constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, are going to be off-limits to you as a prospective purchaser if you have strict rules against buying a property that has ever seen termite activity or damage.
When is it, then, a deal-breaker?
Termite damage usually should not be a deal-breaker unless you discover that:
- The home has significant and unresolved termite-related structural damage.
- There is an ongoing termite infestation.
You also have the option to bargain with the seller and their agent in both cases by using your newly acquired expertise. You can ask them to either fix the problems before closing or compensate you for the costs you spent in fixing them after moving in. Just keep in mind that their termite problems become your termite problems the moment you get the keys.
Is it possible to get rid of termites forever?
Both yes and no. Subterranean termites in the desert are able to re-infest, yet homeowners are encouraged to seek professional help from a pest control specialist to get rid of their current infestation. Termites use pheromones to communicate with one another, similar to many other highly organized pests with social hierarchies.
Termites emit a wide variety of pheromones when they infest your home, some of which serve as a type of neon vacancy sign. In the upcoming months and years, even after you have eradicated your existing infestation, you will need to keep an eye out for emerging termites.
So, how can you permanently remove your termite infestation? Although there is no permanent solution to keep termites out of your house, you can boost your protection. Naturally, subterranean termites enter your home by underground pathways. You can build a barrier that stops termites from accessing the base of your house by having a termite treatment expert dig a trench around your house. Your home is protected by a moat composed of termiticide placed in this shallow trench.
Do termites reduce the value of a home?
Realtors have different opinions on this topic to some degree. In reality, people are far more involved in finding a solution to this problem than termites. Buyers may be more selective about houses in a calm market with lots of inventory. If that is the case, it is far easier to ignore those who have a history of termites—unless the offer seems too good to turn down.