Realtor FAQs
Below is a list of questions and answers that may help Realtors in listing their clients' property.
Through our 35 years plus of working with our real estate agents, we have found that inspecting the property before you get an offer can be beneficial to your clients. These inspections can expose needed repairs such as tearing down and removing a patio or wood deck that has major damage. By doing so, your client could potentially save thousands of dollars. Your clients would also benefit just by knowing the cost and extent of damage and treatment to their home prior to getting their offer.
It is always best to have the initial termite inspection and wood repairs (if needed) done prior to having a new roof installed. We can work with the roofing company to complete repairs that are needed after the old roofing has been removed, but before the new roofing goes on. This can save you money and unwanted headaches.
Yes. The eaves, rafters, fascia, and trim boards may look o.k. and in need of some paint only, but in reality the termite damage almost always exists just below the surface of the paint and would not be found until you have a thorough termite inspection. Teamwork Termite always taps the wood members to expose any hidden damage so that it can be repaired before the painters arrive. This will save you money and time by not having your painters out twice to paint the new wood installed.
A thorough termite inspection can take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size, age, and condition of the property. Extra time will be needed for patio covers, decks, and attached or detached structures such as guest houses, storage units, or detached garages, etc. Teamwork Termite does not cut corners. We take the time to inspect all accessible areas of attics, raised foundations, interiors and exteriors to ensure that you get a thorough inspection for your buyers and or sellers.
The owner can hire whomever they like or may even want to do the work themselves. However keep in mind handymen and contractors don't always know where all the damage is located and might miss some of these areas. Additionally, they may try to perform a temporary fix by wood filling the exposed damage and leaving the rest of the damaged wood behind, when it should have been replaced. Some lenders will require the termite company to come back to the property to re-inspect the work done by others. If the work is not properly done, and damage is left behind, this could cause delays in the closing of escrow and additional costs by having the work done twice. In our experience, this scenario happens often.
We have found that the three most common differences in pricing are usually:
- Fumigating your home vs. localized treatments to infested areas.
- Replacing the damaged wood vs. covering up the damaged wood with some sort of a wood filler or when the wood is being replaced, going back with like for like vs. installing cheaper lumber that will not match the existing wood members.
- Being the most important of the three, a thorough termite inspection vs. a not so thorough termite inspection. This is where I would recommend you read "how long should a termite inspection take?" question. Teamwork Termite will always propose to inspect and make repairs and treatments to your home the right way!
Yes, as a buyer you want a reputable termite company to perform a thorough termite inspection on your behalf.
A termite company must be licensed by the structural pest control board, and must include in their termite report any adverse conditions, such as plumbing leaks, shower pan leaks, earth to wood contact, excessive moisture conditions, dry rot, fungus, beetle infestation, and cellulose debris (wood or wood like material in the subarea). Also included are carpenter bees, carpenter ants, water damage, and water stains. One thing not included in a termite inspection is ugly or deteriorated wood. However, a note in the report may be provided for parties of interest.
