When putting in an offer on a house, the last thing you want to skip is the inspection. This will tell you if the home is plagued with termites, as this could be a deal breaker for you. With termites being one of most common pests to plague Phoenix area homes, it’s important to know what you’re dealing with before signing on the dotted line. Termites can cause a lot of structural damage to the inner workings of a home, and if you discover the infestation after buying the property, you’ll be responsible for paying for the cleanup.
According to Bob Vila, the average cost to repair termite damage is about $1800, but the range can be between $600 and $3,000 or more.
Let’s go over what you need to know about termite damage as a potential homebuyer. If the house has a history of termites or there’s a current infestation, contact a trustworthy termite exterminator in Phoenix.
Termite Infestation: Current or Under Control?
If you have spotted signs of termites while walking through the house, the next thing to do is find out if this is a current, ongoing problem or if the current homebuyers have already sufficiently addressed the problem and it’s under control. If it’s being treated and is under control, the pests have been destroyed. This is good news, but there’s still the issue of structural repairs that will need to be dealt with. This will not only prevent future outbreaks but reinstate the structural integrity of the home. The question is: who is going to have to pay for that?
You can ask the current owner to pay for repairs if the problem is still ongoing and hasn’t yet been addressed by them. They have a choice: pay you to make the repairs after closing, or pay for the service directly themselves beforehand. Whatever option is chosen, get a home buyer’s termite inspection by a qualified Phoenix exterminator before you close to see what the extent of the damage is.
Are Repairs Possible?
While some termite damage is visible to the naked eye, much of it takes place inside the wooden structural components of the house and can’t be readily seen. Your Phoenix exterminator can inspect the situation and determine if the damage will easily be able to be fixed at an affordable price, or if it will require extensive and expensive repairs.
Did you know it can take 10 years for termites to cause enough damage to be noticeable? At that point, it’s nearly impossible to repair.
Bargaining Power
You may be able to knock money off your offer if the home has had known termite damage. Dig deep and put your bargaining skills to use.
The first step is to hire a professional home inspector to inspect the home and issue a report. If evidence of termite damage is detected, you can use those official findings to bargain with the current homeowner regarding price.
Termite Treatment & Prevention Phoenix, AZ
Do you think your dream home is riddled with termites? Just place a call to Frontino Pest Control at 602-338-9223 for a home buyer’s termite inspection by our Phoenix, AZ exterminators.