Serving Memphis, Cordova, Germantown & Collierville TN
Purchasing a house can be an exciting experience, whether you’re a first-time homeowner or buying a vacation home. However, finding termites or other wood-destroying insects like carpenter ants after you move can be disheartening and make you regret your buying decision. Therefore, our Memphis termite control experts at AAA Termite & Pest Control share on the blog today why you should get a termite inspection before buying a new home to protect yourself from expensive repairs.
How Termites Can Ruin Your Home
Termites feed on the cellulose in wood and are responsible for over $5 billion in annual property damage. Termites will eat their way through everything in their path, including wood, drywall, flooring, and wallpaper. Our Cordova termite control company explains that long-term termite activity may cause severe problems with a home’s framework and foundation. Unfortunately, the issues will result in expensive repair bills that could reach the thousands.
Multiple termite colonies that coexist on the same acre of land can increase your home’s risk. The most common areas at risk for termite attacks are slab foundation homes, places where wood contacts soil, and unreachable crawl spaces. Termites naturally migrate to these areas because of the high humidity, so controlling moisture levels in your crawlspace can help reduce the likelihood that termites will invade your home, but it’s not guaranteed.
Get a Termite Inspection Before Purchasing a Home
Termite damage to the internal structure of a home is not readily apparent and visible to the naked eye. However, our qualified termite control experts in Memphis will know what to look for and where to look for it. In specific home-buying scenarios, a termite inspection is necessary regardless of whether you plan to have one done. Many mortgage companies, including Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, may include repair contingencies. Therefore, a termite inspection is often necessary to close on a property. Not having a home inspected for termites before closing could be risky, with repairs that can reach thousands of dollars.
How to Prepare for a Termite Inspection
Our Cordova termite inspectors focus on your home’s structure from the attic to the basement. Traditional home inspectors concentrate solely on the appliances and property systems, which means that looking for termites or termite damage is not part of what they do. When conducted by a trained expert, a termite examination takes up to an hour. Our trained inspector will look for termite evidence throughout the house, from upper to lower levels. Buckling wood, bloated floors and ceilings, water-damaged spots, and other termite damage signs may signify an infestation. After the inspection, our technicians will provide a report outlining their findings, including an estimated cost breakdown to treat the termites.
Remedying a Termite Problem
Our Memphis area termite exterminators will conduct a termite treatment once our inspector provides an estimate. After the treatment is complete, the seller will need a damage estimate to coordinate repairs with a contractor. Structural support replacements and substantial destruction are typical examples that raise repair expenses. However, if you are the one who arranges the inspection, the seller should be responsible for paying for any necessary repairs, not you as the buyer.
You can do a few things to prevent termites if you don’t already have an infestation or want to avoid the inconvenience they may cause. First, ensure no water enters your house by directing it away from the foundation. Next, move mulch and wood piles away from the house’s foundation. Then, check for abandoned droppings, swarmer wings, mud tubes in basements and crawl spaces, and warping wood that can indicate a termite infestation and structural damage.
Termite Inspections in Cordova and Memphis, Tennessee
Hiring a certified pest control expert in Cordova for your termite examination can help uncover termite issues. In addition, an inspection should occur before purchasing a house to ensure that no hidden termite damage is waiting for you once you move in. So, before you buy your next home, protect yourself, your family, and your investment by scheduling a termite inspection in Memphis today. Call AAA Termite & Pest Control at (901) 737-7378 or contact us online for an appointment today.