What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know About Termite Inspections

So you’ve just spent the past few months fixing up all of your home’s little eyesores, cleaning every window in the house, and planting plenty of flowers out front to boost the property’s curb appeal. The house looks great! You proceed to put it on the market.

Then it happens. A buyer walks-in, loves the place –and all of the hard work you recently put into it–and makes an offer. You accept the offer and go into escrow. Then the termite inspection comes in: You have a major infestation.

Now imagine shelling out potentially thousands of dollars to kill off the little buggers. And those homebuyers who thought they found the house of their dreams? Well, they’re probably not too stoked about the infestation.

Termites are very common here in Encino. Our climate is perfect for them. Many homeowners do not realize that a termite inspection is actually a “wood destroying pest” inspection. In addition to checking for termites, the inspection checks for damage, dry rot and fungus.

What I recommend is that home sellers avoid any surprises and have a termite inspection before placing their properties on the market. Homeowners in general should periodically have inspections to make sure there’s not a latent problem.

When selling a home, there’s no way of glossing over this issue. Inspections are the norm, especially when outside financing is involved. Banks want to know their investment is solid. And it’s customary for sellers to take care of the cost of treating active infestations.

If you have drywood termites, treatment typically involves covering the home in a tent-like structure and fumigating. You’ll have to leave for a couple days and put consumables in plastic bags. This is the only way to assure a “full kill.”

If the home is in escrow, fumigation is normally scheduled near the end of escrow after the seller has vacated and before closing. Banks will require proof of the treatment prior to handing over a dime.

Subterranean termites, which require contact with soil, do not require the tent and are treated with chemicals. If you have drywood termites, I recommend going with the tent. Some companies market other options, but fumigation is really the only method that assures eradication of all the termites that may be inside the walls and other inaccessible areas. 

Also, research pest control companies before hiring them. I prefer to go with well-established firms that have a good reputation and references.

The cost for treating termites can run in the thousands of dollars, particularly if the house needs to be fumigated and/or there is a lot of damaged wood, such as with wooden decks or siding that may need to be replaced.

If you know all of this prior to putting your home on the market, you won’t be forced to play a costly game of defense later on.

The Structural Pest Control Board is a government agency and great resource. Its mission is to improve and assure the protection of the public in the rendering of Structural Pest Control Service. 

You can verify a license on the site. Pest control reports are filed with the agency and can be obtained on the website by ordering them. You can also search the Board's Wood Destroying Organism System to see if a specific property has been inspected within the last two years.