A termite infestation is an expensive problem for any homeowner to deal with. Not only does it cause structural damage, but termites can also eat away at your home’s value and make it difficult to sell. There are two ways you can go about getting rid of termites before selling your house: (1) repairing the termite damage yourself or (2) selling to a cash buyer who doesn’t care if there’s termite damage because they specialize in repairing homes. We’ll discuss both options below!

Do Termites Affect Home Value?

The short answer is yes. Termites do not do significant damage overnight; the damage they cause is prolonged and gradual. However, if left unchecked, they can wreak havoc on a home. This is why it is wise to have a termite protection system installed by a pest control company to prevent termites issues. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not take this precaution. And it’s a gamble. Sometimes they never end up with termite infestations. However, here in the South, termites eventually find their way to these homes more often than not.

How Do Termites Affect Home Value?

Subterranean termites do their damage by slowly eating away at the components of your home, including wood, drywall, and siding materials. They love that stuff. In the best case, they will end up chewing away at cosmetic parts of your home like walls. Worst case, they will deteriorate the structural members of your house. This can present safety issues and even cause portions of your home to collapse if this structural damage is given enough time to get out of hand.

These issues can significantly reduce the value of your home. Unfortunately, there is no exact formula to tell you how much less your home will be worth if it has termites. The severity of the damage will heavily influence this number. If termites have just made their way into your home and can quickly be ousted by a termite treatment or two, you can likely get away without your home’s value being affected at all.

However, if there is extensive termite damage, the problem is that most potential buyers will not even consider buying your house because they don’t want to inherit the problem. As you can see, that’s why it is difficult to assign an exact value to your house in this case.

Get A Specialized Pest Inspection

If you do not already have a termite bond with a pest control company and are fearful that you may have termite activity, your first task is to have a termite inspection performed by a pest inspector. They will determine the severity of the infestation and locate the areas impacted. They will also recommend treatments to get rid of the termites.

Can You Get Rid Of Termites Permanently?

If you follow the recommendations from the pest professional and have a termite treatment performed, you will likely remove the termites from your home and stay protected as long as you keep the system in place. However, just as termites infest your home gradually, it can often take a significant amount of time to get them out.

How Long Does It Take To Get Rid Of Termites?

This is because of the nature of the termite protection systems that are commonly used. The most common approach uses a poisonous bait that is eventually found by the worker termites searching for new food sources. Once found, this poison is distributed to the rest of the colony until it dies off. As you might expect, this process takes time.

These bait stations would optimally be placed before any termite activity had started to be a preventative measure. Nevertheless, this treatment will eventually kill off the termites plaguing your home and prevent future termite infestations.

However, even though a termite protection system will get rid of the termites in your home, it will not get rid of all of your termite issues. All of the structural damage done by the termites will still need to be addressed.

Can You Sell A House With Termite Damage?

Selling a house with termite history can be extremely difficult. Like we’ve mentioned, most potential buyers will be frightened by the thought of a home with termite issues. Most traditional buyers are looking for something more or less turn-key, and having to replace structural members does not necessarily fit that description.

Is Termite Damage A Deal-Breaker?

Most of the time, termite damage is a deal-breaker, especially if it is severe. If you are trying to sell your house to a traditional buyer, you will likely have to deal with several hassles along the way. First off, most of them won’t be interested if you disclose termites have damaged the house.

Watch Out For Contingencies

Even if some buyers are willing to move forward with a purchase knowing that there is termite damage, their lender will likely not be so eager. Most lenders require a termite inspection before funding the purchase of a home and will not close on the house if there is significant termite damage. This will wipe out the vast majority of buyers on the market.

Repairing Termite Damage

Repairing termite damage first involves stopping their activity. Without doing this first, repairing the damage is like bailing out water on a sinking boat. But once the termite infestation is remediated, you can begin with the restoration.

Restoring your home after termite damage involves replacing any materials that have been affected by the termites, including wood, siding, and drywall. Unfortunately, the most critical components, namely structural members, are usually the most difficult to access. This will likely involve dismantling portions of your home to replace the damaged wood.

Should I Repair My Home Myself?

This work should always be done by a professional since modifying the structural elements of your home could alter its structural integrity. Although homeowners can do siding, drywall, and painting, it is not recommended in this situation. This could be quite the to-do list and could drag on much longer than you want it to.

Selling Your House With Termite Damage As-Is To A Cash Buyer

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If all of the steps above seem overwhelming to you, it’s because they are! Termite damage is nothing to play around with, and there is no quick fix to the damage they can cause.

Fortunately, traditional buyers are not your only option for selling your home. Cash buyers will purchase your house without you having to jump through all the hoops associated with a financed purchase. These buyers specialize in repairing homes that are not in prime condition and will buy your house as-is.

If you’re looking for a cash buyer to purchase your home in Meridianville AL or any of the surrounding areas, you’ve come to the right place! We buy houses in all conditions, from termite-infested, to outdated, to just plain messy.

We will buy your house exactly as it is and not require you to fix a thing. We understand that a house with issues can be an enormous burden, and we want to take a load off your shoulders.

Why not get a cash offer from us before dealing with all of the hassles of repairs and inspection contingencies?