Termite Inspection Orange County Termite Terry Pest Control

Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, South Orange County, Long Beach Area

A Nightmare For First-Time Home Buyers

Buying your first home should be a time of celebration. But for one couple, it has been a nightmare because they found that their new home has been eaten from the inside out by termites.

Back in August of last year, a couple purchased their first home. They had been living with their parents for the past three years so they could save up enough money to buy a house.

The sale of their new home closed and they were given the keys to it. They had everything packed and were ready to go. Before moving in, they decided to do some painting on the home’s interior. That is when they discovered their home had a termite problem.

The closer they looked, the more evidence of termites they found. Muddy trails, left by the subterranean termites, were in plain sight. In some areas, they could literally push their fingers right through the walls!

“It wasn’t just termites that were there and gone. This was crawling bugs. It was disgusting, it was awful,” the owner’s wife said. “The home inspection included the termite inspection for the whole house and everything came back clean. He said the carbon monoxide detector needed to be replaced and that’s it. He said there were no signs of termites in the house, in the garage, in the deck.”

The couple decided it was time to bring in two different termite companies to inspect the situation.

The first termite inspector told them that the damage

should have been obvious. He pointed out signs of bubbling drywall and termite tunneling. He also noted damage on the exterior walls.

The next inspector told them that this was one of the worst homes he had ever seen. He said that the termites look as though they had been there for well over a decade.

A call was placed to the company that performed the home’s initial inspection, but they declined to comment.

The buyers of this home did some of their own investigating. They found documents that show the previous owners knew about the problem. This information was not disclosed before they sold the house.

The owner’s wife said that they did get a quote from a contractor to do the repairs. The costs of his estimate were higher than what the couple paid for the house!

The couple has talked to lawyers and have looked into filing a lawsuit, but they can’t afford the legal fees.

Their new home has been gutted, the walls are wide open, and it is waiting to be repaired. This nightmare has been going on for over six months. They are making their monthly mortgage payments on a house that is uninhabitable, and they are still stuck living with their parents. So much for the joys of home ownership!

 

Termite Terry’s Advice For Homebuyers

Termite Terry says that before you look into buying any home or commercial property, you have got to do your

homework. Here are some of his recommendations:

  • Order a thorough home or building inspection. All structures should be inspected top to bottom, inside and out. That includes going under the house or building (if it has a raised foundation), inspecting the entire attic, and going on top of the roof. Thorough inspections take a long time to do if they are done correctly, and good inspectors are not afraid of getting dirty.
  • Carefully review your home inspection report. If you have areas of concern, these should be addressed before you move forward with any purchase plans.
  • Order a thorough termite inspection. All structures should be inspected top to bottom, inside and out. The areas under the house or building should be carefully inspected (if it has a raised foundation). All accessible areas of the attic should be inspected. Stall showers should also be inspected and water tested, according to State regulations. A good inspection of most homes will take between 1½ to 2 hours.
  • Carefully review your termite inspection report. If you have any areas of concern, you need to address them and start asking questions. If you have any doubts about what you hear, call for a second opinion.
  • Ask for records of any previous termite inspections and/or treatments. Sellers are required to provide this information. We also recommend that you contact the Structural Pest Control Board of California, and request copies of all reports completed in the previous three years. There is no charge for their service, and you can do all of this online. Over the years, many buyers have regretted not taking this advice!

 

Are you looking to buy a home or commercial property? Call us at (949) 631-7348 and we’ll be happy to