Termites are common here in Connecticut, and can cause problems if they get into your home. Termites can get into wooden furniture, compromise the structure of your house, and can even eat through wood siding.
Once they established a colony you will need a professional termite control specialist to remove them. Most home buyers opt to schedule a termite or pest inspection before they purchase a home.
When buying a house, the owner often times won’t even know if the home has termites or wood boring pests or not, so it won’t necessarily be in the seller’s disclosure. If your pest inspector sees some signs of either active termites or termite damage they can make recommendations as to what you can do next. Most times it is not the end of the world and the problem can be effectively remedied.
Keep in mind not all traditional home inspectors are trained to recognize the presence of termite activity or structural damage from other wood destroying insects. If the inspection shows that termites are active, you don’t need to abandon the idea of purchasing the home. Instead you can request that the seller have it fixed. Most sellers in Connecticut are willing to have it treated in order to proceed with the sale.
In some instances you may also negotiate the home price if termite damage is found and the seller is not willing to treat it. This is something you should discuss with your Realtor who is trained in this type of negotiation for buyers like you.
If there is damage to areas such as structural posts or beams that could cost a lot more and a licensed carpenter should be consulted as well to determine the cost of those repairs.
