If you own a home in Contra Costa county CA, this home maintenance tip could save you THOUSANDS of dollars in future repairs - get a Pest Inspection every 2 - 4 years!
Pest Inspections cover more than rodents and creepy crawly things. The #1 repair item on Pest Inspections in our market area of northern California is dry rot. The term dry rot is a bit of a misnomer. Dry rot is a fungus that causes wood decay and is the result of water in contact with wood over time. The main culprits for potential problems are kitchens and bathrooms.
Let me share a story that will make the point. I listed a Walnut Creek home for sale and as part of my pre-sale preparation process, I view the home in detail in order to make a to-do list of items that need to be accomplished in order to sell for the highest possible price. During the preview, I noticed that the caulking in both bathrooms was an unusual, grayish color. Given that this home was clean and well-maintained, I knew the cause was more than the need for a good scrubbing so I suggested that the sellers obtain a Pest Inspection. The last thing any seller wants is to be broadsided by unexpected repairs with a short deadline for completion when their home sells.
This is where the story gets painful. Both bathrooms had water leaks, one from the shower and one from the bathtub surround area. Unless you knew what to look for (and most home owners don't), these leaks were not at all obvious because they went through a gap in the caulking to the sub-floor of the bathrooms.....and the leaks occured over a long period of time causing significant damage. The sellers, who did all the appropriate maintenance that they knew about throughout their 18 years of ownership, now need to pull out the shower, the bathtub, all of the beautiful tile and replace the joists and sub-floors in both bathrooms. A very expensive repair.
The sellers summed up their frustration by saying, "If only we had known to add a Pest Inspection to our maintenance, we would have gladly paid the $185 every 3 years rather than face this expense. Why didn't anyone tell us to do this?"
So now you know, get a Pest Inspection every 2 - 4 years and save yourself thousands in future repairs!
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