St. Louis Real Estate

Guest author Harry Morrell is back with yet another timely post. It’s bug time for St. Louis Real Estate.

TERMITE INSPECTIONS FOR ST. LOUIS REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
by Harry Morrell, ASHI certified home inspector

If you are buying a house that has not been inspected or treated for termites in the past month, a termite inspection is highly recommended. Remember, if you are getting a full building inspection that does not mean you are getting a termite inspection as well. A termite inspection report in the state of Missouri is totally separate from the building inspection. The inspector must have a special state license to inspect and fill out the termite report. Some building inspectors work with pest control contractors/inspectors and others are licensed to perform the termite inspections and provide this service as a package when doing the full house inspection. Always ask your inspector if he is licensed to perform termite inspections.

Remember that termite inspectors doing inspections for real estate transactions are doing a visual inspection only. Even though veteran termite inspectors know where to look for and conditions that are conducive for termites, finished spaces like walls and ceilings, heavy storage and clutter, appliances, shelves and cabinets can hinder the inspection. It is safe to say that no termite inspection on real estate transactions are a 100% guarantee that the house is free and clear of termites. Remember, the house that is being inspected is not your house yet, and the owner probably would not like having the inspector do destructive testing to check in between walls, and moving heavy storage and clutter can take an excessive amount of time. So, how can an inspector ease the concerns of the buyer regarding termites?

During the after inspection summary, your inspector should walk you through the specifics of the termite inspection. Termites in Missouri are mostly underground or subterranean. You will not see termites crawling around your house. They live in the wood or underground, they travel in a shelter or mud tubes. Termites swarm 2-3 times a year and develop wings, they fly and die, and some make it underground. If termites swarm close to your house, assume you have termites, treatment is recommended. If one shelter tube is found or noted, assume you have termites, treatment is recommended. If poor drainage and grading is causing water ponding and soil erosion close to your foundation resulting in areas constantly holding moisture, termite presence is likely, bait stations should be considered. If the basement is mostly finished and access is limited, regular inspections are recommended and bait stations should be considered. Regular inspections are always recommended regardless of the conditions.

The good news is that termites are slow eaters and if yearly inspections are performed, major termite damage to your house is not likely. Talk to you inspector and make sure all your concerns are answered.

If you suspect you might have a termite problem, Harry Morrell can be reached at harrymorrell@stlouisrealestatevoice.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 12th, 2007 at 5:39 pm and is filed under Building Inspection News, First Time Home Buyer, For Buyers, For Sellers, Relocation Buyer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.