Real Estate Article: Learn Why You Should Have a Termite Inspection Done on Your Home

Although this inspection is commonly called a Termite Inspection, it is actually an inspection for termites, other wood destroying insects and wood destroying organisms.  That would included (but isn't limited to) carpenter ants and even mildew and mold on the visible wood.  

Most lenders will require you to do this inspection, but even if you aren't going to need a loan, I strongly recommend that you have one.  

And if the seller says "don't worry, I don't have termites", I strongly recommend that you have one!

Here are a couple of examples from some of my past sales that will show you way this inspection is important:

1.  In 2000 when I was living and working in Oklahoma, I was selling the home of one of my childhood next door neighbor.  He was 99 an in a nursing home and I was dealing with his daughters.  The inspection said that there were termites because the wall in the master bedroom was soft.  The daughters remembered their dad saying once that they had been told once that the home had termites and he didn't believe it.  They told me to go ahead and get treatment and repairs done.  Below are a couple of picture I took while the work was being done.

At the time, I had been in real estate for 19 years and seen many homes.  I couldn't see this damage.  But a trained eye could.  Once I knew there was damage in the room, I felt the wall and it was soft.  But only a trained eye would have know it was termite damage.  And now I have this example to show how important it is to have a home inspected for termites.

2.  In 2005 and inspector told us there was fungi on the joists under the home (it had a crawl space).  I had smelled a little mildewy smell in the house, but figured the bathroom wasn't clean enough or the house had been closed up too long.  I had never had an inspector have this in his report, so I didn't know what to think about it.  That is, until he showed me the pictures he took.  WOW!  All of the floor joists were white.  It was only a matter of time until these organisms rotted the wood to the point where the floors would have softened.  The buyer asked the seller to treat it and now has a house that won't fall down on him!

Linda Grissette, GRI, e-PRO Certified

The Best Seller GMAC Real Estate, 3829 Veterans Memorial, St. Peters, MO 63376 

Licensed in the state of Missouri.

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