Before deciding to buy a house, ask about pest inspections. A house could look gorgeous on the outside, but within its walls could be any number of vermin, from rodents to insects. Celebrities aren’t immune to pest problems. Halle Berry was forced out of her home because of spiders. When you finish reading this, you’ll see why pest inspections are so important.
Can I Do the Inspection Myself?
While some infestations are immediately noticeable, some stay in the background. Mice don’t have to be running over your shoes for a home to have an infestation. That’s why you need a professional to perform these inspections.
When they look through a home, they notice minute details that can hint at a large issue. A pair of thin wings might not be noticed by you. However, a professional pest inspector would quickly catch this sign of termites.
What’s at Stake with a Pest Inspection?
You obviously wouldn’t want to live in any home that’s been infested. However, if you need further motivation to get a pest inspection done right away, check out what’s at risk if you don’t.
Building Health
Insects like termites, carpenter bees, and carpenter ants damage wood homes through their feeding and nesting. These insects can be rather stealthy. Termites could chew away at the wood inside your walls for years before you realize something is wrong. The same goes for rodents, such as mice and rats. A house’s structure and look can both be ruined by pests.
Without an inspection, a home could be unknowingly undergoing major destruction. Pest inspections let you turn a bad situation into a better one.
Physical Health
Pests can easily spread diseases and cause other health issues. Flea and bedbug bites can cause unbearable itching. Cockroaches can cause respiratory problems through their waste as well as saliva and exoskeletons.
Rodents can spread disease in similar ways. Without a pest inspection, your new home could be a potential illness trap. No matter how much you take of yourself otherwise, you can’t be completely healthy in a pest-riddled home.
Mental Health
The stress of possible infestation is brutal. You could start having racing thoughts about what could be hiding in not-so-plain sight in your new home. Sure, you might not see anything, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t still be there.
Schedule a pest inspection so you can sleep soundly. Yes, there’s a chance they’ll find something, but that’s why you hired them in the first place. An inspection can be followed up with an extermination, one to evict these pests for good.
When to Ask About a Pest Inspection
If you’re really leaning towards buying a house, inquire about pest inspections as soon as possible. Don’t just ask the owners if there have been any pests. It would be too easy for them to just tell you “no” and perhaps hope you don’t ask them about the topic any further.
That’s why you should request evidence of a successful pest inspection, ideally one no more than a year old, if not newer. If they’ve had pests in the past, request to see any possible damage, as well as any precautionary measures they recommend.
Conclusion
Getting a pest inspection can be a little worrisome, especially if it’s for a house you don’t want to lose out on. Look at it from a more positive view. Once the inspection is complete, you’ll know whether it’s safe and pest-free or if some additional work needs to be done.
Once it’s all finished and you’ve bought the house, you can feel happy for two reasons. One reason is that you have a new home. The other reason is that pests won’t be a problem.