The buying or selling of your home is an exciting, and often stressful, time in your life. There is a lot that goes into the process and many boxes have to be checked off before everything becomes final. Both buyers and sellers want to make the process run as smoothly as possible, so understanding why a wood-destroying insect report is essential when buying or selling a home in Norristown can help both parties.
What are Wood-Destroying Insects and Why are They a Problem?
As their name suggests, wood-destroying insects, such as termites and carpenter ants, destroy wood. Termites eat it while carpenter ants only chew it, but the results are the same. Homes that have wood-destroying insects in them can end up with substantial damage to the wooden structures within their homes.
Unfortunately, wood-destroying insects are excellent at going unnoticed. They don’t make noise and they stay hidden within the wood they eat through, so homeowners can go months or years without knowing of their presence. In that time, wood-destroying insects can do a lot of damage, sometimes even to the point of hurting the structural integrity of a home.
What is a Wood-Destroying Insect Report and Why Do You Need One?
If you are buying or selling a home in Norristown, you’ll want (and possibly need) a wood-destroying insect report before you finalize the sale. A wood-destroying insect report is a report that is written by a licensed pest control company, after the inspection of your home. The inspection is different from a home inspection because it focuses solely on looking for damage done by wood-destroying insects. Pest control technicians are trained in knowing where to look and what to look for. These inspectors go into the hard-to-reach areas of your home to ensure that nothing is overlooked.
Some mortgage lenders require wood-destroying insect reports before they’ll approve a loan, but even if yours doesn’t, it’s a good idea to get one. No one wants to move into a house to discover that it needs thousands of dollars in repairs due to termite or carpenter ant damage.
If you’re in the process of buying or selling, contact M.A.D. Exterminators to schedule an appointment for an inspection for wood-destroying insects. You’ll be glad to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your home is free of wood-destroying insects.