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I'm in the market to buy a house and with one house in particular, the seller's disclosure states that he/she is NOT aware of any termites/pests or damage caused by termites/pests. However, he/she has stated that they are under contract by a license pest control company where routine maintenance is done 4 times a year.
Does this mean that there was a pest infestation to begin with and has to be kept in control by this yearly maintenance program? Or are there people who just do routine preventative pest control whether it's needed or not?
The house my husband & I had bought had been treated because carpenter ants had been found in the crawl space during a previous inspection (the previous buyers' mortgage fell through). The inspection found no termite/ant damage. I was concerned, but my realtor said that carpenter ants are very common in NJ/the northeast, and that if we regularly treat for them, we should be fine. He also said that he had his own house treated quarterly for pests.
I'd be more concerned in your shoes if there was actual damage. If they have people come out 4 times per year, they're being proactive in preventing damage from pests.
No, some home owners get regular pest control treatment for spiders, ants and other insects commonly found in homes and garages. I did get a pest control plan a few years ago but then been doing it myself a few times a year.
I'm in the market to buy a house and with one house in particular, the seller's disclosure states that he/she is NOT aware of any termites/pests or damage caused by termites/pests. However, he/she has stated that they are under contract by a license pest control company where routine maintenance is done 4 times a year.
Does this mean that there was a pest infestation to begin with and has to be kept in control by this yearly maintenance program? Or are there people who just do routine preventative pest control whether it's needed or not?
Do I need to be concerned about this?
All houses have some pests, and some damage. As long as your home inspection did not reveal major damage, you should be good to go. Plan on maintaining the pest control service and you should be able to keep the problem under control for the duration of your stay.
Thanks for the replies. How much does a contract with a pest control company normally cost? The house is around 2500 sq ft with garage and finished basement.
We've had quarterly pest control for years to stop the carpenter ants. We live right next to a woods. It costs a little more than $100 for each treatment and they come quarterly.
We purchased a second home in FL and one of the first things I did was get pest control although there are no issues. I wanted to keep the spiders and palmetto bugs out.
We have an issue with carpenter bees, and as a result have a minimum of three treatments a year. Had we not been proactive in treating this, they could have caused a great deal of damage burrowing into the fascia. I think we pay about $100 per treatment, but if there are signs of activity between treatments, the company comes out to treat the property without charging us.
As long as your inspection doesn't show any signs of an active infestation or damage, you should be fine.
This is super-extrapolation but please bear with me as I try to make a point of how immaterial it could be.
Buying a house that has a pest control plan is in many ways equivalent to marrying someone who gets a physical every year. Getting a physical regularly may either arise from a past ailment that may resurface or a proactive preventive initiative. But as long as the current medical reports are all clear, you're free to assume he/she is healthy.
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