Termite damage, no matter how small it may be, is never good for a house.  During a real estate inspection, if any termite damage is found, it will affect the outcome of the house.  In most cases, the buyer is told that the seller will fix the problem.  Although this may sound good to some buyers that the seller will treat for termites, other buyers often wonder.

Of course it’s nice that the seller will pay to have the termite problem treated, which will normally cost around $1,000 or so.  Even though the termites will be gone, you have to wonder about the damage to the structure.  In the more severe cases, damage to the structure can cost up to 50 times the cost of the treatment.  The last thing you want is to move into a house that you know has been treated for termites, only to find the structure to be in very bad shape.

If any type of damage was done to the wooden structure of the house, you may need to get immediate repairs.  While some damage may be visible, there are other types of damage that may seem invisible to the naked eye.  To find out just how bad the damage is, carpets and rugs will need to be lifted, furniture and appliances moved, walls and ceilings will need to be opened, and even some types of excavation may be needed.  This is the only way to tell the extent of the damages, especially in cases of termites.  If you don’t inspect every area of the house, you could be moving into a house that has severe structural damage - which can cost you thousands to repair.

There could also be latent damage present as well.  To determine this, you’ll need to have invasive and destructive testing performed on your house, which will performed by qualified contractors and specialists.  This will help to determine the extent of the damage and the cost of any needed repairs.  This can be very costly however, although it’s the only way to find and repair any latent damage.

Destructive and invasive testing can cost you an arm and a leg, although you’ll need to have it done if you suspect termites or know for a fact that the house was treated for them.  To protect yourself, you should always get a treatment and repair history before you purchase the house.  If you are renting the house, you’ll need get written documentation from the specialist that details the damage to the house and cost of repairs.

Before you buy a house, you should always have it checked for termites.  There are a lot of termite inspection companies out there, many of which go above and beyond to check the house for any type of termite damage.  You don’t want to buy a house only to find out that it has been infested with termites.  If you have the proper inspections performed before you make the purchase, you’ll know for a fact that you don’t have to worry about termites or termite damage.

If the inspector or contractor doesn’t find any termite damage, you should always have it documented.  This way, if termite damage does exist, you’ll have the documentation to back you up.  Termites can be very destructive to your house, especially if you are looking towards a log house.  Termites can destroy wood in little to no time at all, which is why you should always do what you can to have your house treated as soon as you suspect any type of damage.  If you know a house has been infested with termites before - you should really make sure that the structure isn’t damaged and the termites are gone before you commit to buying.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, August 31st, 2008 at 4:24 am and is filed under buying tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.