Can You Sell A Home With Termite Damage?

One of the first things you have to do when you make the decision to sell your home is to spruce it up. Cleaning all the rooms, changing the drapes, polishing the furniture, and painting what needs to be painted are the just some of the initial tasks that have to be done.

While going about these chores, you also have to keep a lookout for areas that have been damaged – particularly those brought about by termites.

The usual signs of termite damage include buckling wood, swelling floors, and termite mazes on furniture and walls. Once you see these signs, make sure you invest in the right pest control treatment immediately and have the damage repaired or replaced properly.

However, even if they have been repaired, the original damage can still have negative effects on the structure or aesthetic appearance of the house. And these factors will definitely affect the sales price of your home.

But can you sell a home with termite damage? The answer is yes. However, you have to be upfront about this and be open to accepting lower bids.

Representatives from a Modesto pest control company say that based on their experiences, there are buyers who will use your home’s termite infestation history to negotiate the price even if you have the damage repaired.

Getting a Better Deal for Your Home

Interested buyers will certainly think they have the upper hand once you disclose your home’s history of termite infestation. But by following the tips below, you can still limit the effectiveness of this negotiating factor and strategy.

• Have a termite inspection done on your home before selling it. 

Even if you’ve had a termite infestation problem before, showing interested buyers that this issue has been dealt with properly and that your home is now termite-free will help you greatly reduce their bargaining influence. Invest in a professional termite inspection before you put your home on the market. Show this report to potential buyers so that they will have assurance that there are no more pests hiding in your home.

• Show potential buyers a termite warranty.

Even if possible buyers of your home are assured that your property is termite-free now, they will still be worried about any potential infestation in the future. You can help put these worries to rest by getting a termite warranty from your pest control company. A lot of these companies offer multi-year warranties that provide homeowners guarantee that termites will not return after a treatment. If a termite infestation appears, the company will provide extermination services for free.

However, you have to make sure that this warranty will be transferred to the next homeowners until its validity runs out.

• Install preventive measures. 

Lastly, show interested buyers that you are being proactive in keeping out termites for good from your property by putting some preventative measures in place. Install tight mesh screening on any accessible vents. If you want to have your house treated, have it done for the whole property and not just on certain areas.  Call us for any questions!