Should I Have A Termite Inspection Done When Buying A House?

With home sales increasing the one variable I get here in the Charlotte, NC. is should I have a termite inspection or is it a waste of money.....  The question basically answers itself.  Termites as we all know can and do cause massive destruction to a home.  Most home owners do not know they even have termites or what to look for.  Unless a house is treated on a regular basis there is a good chance that there are termites possibly in the house.

  I have sold homes on a slab that have had termites as well as homes with a crawl space.  They do not discriminate against one or the other.  The problem with them is that unless you know what to look for you have no idea they are even present in the house.

I know a lot of home buyers tell me the house is on a concrete slab and there is no way termites can get in.  That is so untrue.  I have seen them come up through the ground and into homes more times than not.  In fact I think it is easier to locate and find them on a slab than it is in a crawl space.  My own personal house is built on a slab and my garage was infested with termites last year.  Fortunately I knew what to look for and quickly got the issue resolved....But for most people they think it may be ants and ignore the issue.

On a crawl space it is a little more complicated.  We tend not to go into our crawl space that often and it is a breeding ground for termites.  I sold a home where the termites had eaten away at the band sill around a third of the house weakening the wood to the point that it had to be replaced in addition to getting the termites treated.  However; by just looking at the band sill we were unable to detect the house had termites.  Only after a qualified termite inspector checked the house that we discovered they were there and had been there awhile.

Having a termite inspection done eases the mind and allows you as a home buyer to go in knowing that the unseen bug is either not present, not done any damage or the issue has been corrected before any major damage was done.

So is a termite inspection necessary or not?  My professional opinion is I would not buy a house without having one done on it...  I rather side on the part of caution then find out later after the damage has been done.

Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
Coldwell Banker United
Cell:704-519-7895
ddicecco@cbunited.com
www.davedicecco.com