Realtors: Are you protecting your clients from possible hidden costs?

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Structural pests are known to cause over 7 billion dollars of damage each year in the United States of America. A vast majority of these infestations go undetected over time, only creating more damage and adding cost to the repairs. This probably leaves you and your clients with important and unanswered questions like: In what state is my target property currently at? Does it need to be fumigated? Is there any structural damage on it? Are there any inaccessible or closed areas? The answers for all of these questions vary from property to property, as no two structures will be the same. The best way to learn the answers to these questions is to perform a complete W.D.O inspection on the structure completed by a licensed and knowledgeable inspector. He will look at your property and explain to you exactly in what condition is currently at and what exactly is going on. During this process, the structural wood members along with any cosmetic or attached structures will be closely looked at to try and locate any and all visible and accessible infestations or damage that could possibly exist. I highly recommend that this inspection be completed when you are still in your contingency period, being that if any major problem arises there is still time to renegotiate the transaction. Of course every transaction is different so make sure to check with your loan officer for the appropriate time frames.

A common wood destroying organisms’ inspection will consist of an overall look of your structural wood members to make sure that there are neither damaged nor infected. The inspector will check the entire property for this including (but not limited to) the exterior, garage, attic, crawl space (if available) and the interior. It will list (if any) recommendations to control or resolve the situations that are found during the inspection process. It will as well be stating any excessive moisture conditions that may be occurring like roofing or plumbing leaks. It will as well note any areas or items that might attract an infestation to your structure in the future; this will include earth to wood contacts, firewood against the wall, among others. This will assist you in getting a good overall idea of how the property is currently doing. Of course the inspection is only limited to visible and accessible areas, but what you see on the outside can many times tell you a lot about what is occurring on the hidden areas of the structure. If you would like to know a little bit more about our inspections and what it entails, be sure to check out our termite inspection process.

My professional recommendation after so many years of experience in the termite/wdo business is; protect yourself and your client (buyer/seller) by having a wood destroying organism inspection completed. Even if you think the house is clear, even if you think there is no money to fix it or the owner will not be willing to pay, get it inspected and at least this way you know what you are getting yourself into. Many times we are the last ones to be called out to the property before a loan needs clearance, and by this time it’s too late and the expenses have to be absorbed or the escrow falls apart. Protect your customers and yourself by being prepared and addressing any potential situations before they arise and don’t get yourself or your clients into a bad situation like this.
Get your property inspected today for free (where available) by a GC Termite Control licensed inspector, give us a call at (619) 421-2101 with any questions your might have or you can as well set up your appointment online here.