Selling a Luxury Home - Part 5 - The Team - Termite Inspector

Selling a Luxury Home - Part 5 - The Team - Termite Inspector

This is Part 5 in a Series. You may wish to look at the other parts first:

Selling a Luxury Home - Part 1 - Defined

Selling a Luxury Home - Part 2 - A State of Mind

Selling a Luxury Home - Part 3 - Make a Plan

Selling a Luxury Home - Part 4 - The Team - Home Inspector

Right of the bat some of you are asking why we need a Termite inspector if we just had a home inspector.  No matter how you feel about it in California they are two different inspections.  There may be some overlap, but here is how they are different:

• Home inspectors are not licensed by the state, but they do have professional credentials and professional organizations they are a part of.  Termite inspectors are licensed by the state.
  
  
• The home inspection report is yours and for you personally (Although you are obligated to make a disclosure about problems with the home).  A Termite Report is filed with the Structural Pest Control Board and is a Public Record.  A record of the inspection will also be posted by the Termite company in the home.
  
  
• The Home inspection is broad in it's scope.  The Termite report has a tighter focus.
  

The other misconception is that a Termite report focuses on Termites only.  The termite report will focus on:

• Wood destroying pest, fungus and structural damage.
  
  
• Conditions likely to lead to infestations or moisture damage; including grading issues.
  
  
• Estimates of repair.  The repair estimates will be divided into two sections.  Section 1 is actual damage and Section 2 is conditions likely to lead to problems.

Now if you are wondering why you should do the Termite Inspection in advance instead of letting the buyer pay for it that means you have not read Selling a Luxury Home - Part 4.  You should do that now.  The reasons are the same.  Remember when you are Selling a Luxury Home value is created by Uniqueness, Status, and Luxury.  Your Luxury Home needs to be in top condition to reflect the unique luxury status you advertise it as having.

In our next post on Selling a Luxury Home we will cover another member of the team; the Home Stager.