Buying a new home can undoubtedly be overwhelming. While it’s exciting to imagine decorating all of the rooms and playing football the backyard, it’s also nerve-racking to consider all of the money that you will be investing.
One of the best ways to make sure that you are making a sound investment, however, is to confirm that your home is in great shape structurally. After all, you’ll need to calculate the amount of money you foresee spending on repairs and upgrades into your final budget. And, besides water damage, some of the most detrimental problems to your home are sometimes so small that you can barely see them.
During one of your many visits to your new home, dedicate a portion of your time to following these guidelines provided by the vice president of Viking Pest Control, Dan Bradbury. When you’ve completed the walk through, you will be more aware of any pests that are in the home which could have possibly caused unseen damage.
Over time, wood-destroying insects (mainly termites) will leave behind signs that they are busily working on destroying the wood in your home. If you’re searching for a new home during the warmer months, you may actually see some flying termites (also called swarmers) that are sent out by the colony to search for more wood. If you see them in your home, assume that others are there, hiding, as well. Additionally, be sure to examine windowsills and the perimeter of the floors of every room in the corners. If you see what appears to be wood dust, there is a strong possibility that it is not wood at all, but rather droppings that the termites have pushed out of their galleys.
Rodents should also be a main concern, especially since during the time of your visit, they have probably found a dark place to hide. A clear sign that mice or rats are present in the home is to look for droppings. Check for this along the perimeter of the room, on countertops, and in cabinets where food is stored.
Bradbury also explains that if the home has a large bed-bug problem, look for some clear-cut signs. If the home is currently occupied, ask for permission to take a quick look at the beds or couches in rooms that are frequented. If bed bugs are a major concern, then he says there will be small blood stains and molten shells. You should also spend a little time getting acquainted with the overall cleanliness level of the home. Even if you are clean and sanitary, the current homeowners might not be. So, make sure that the trash cans outside the home are properly sealed and placed a good distance from the house. Additionally, be sure food is stored properly. If boxes are left open, spills left uncleaned and food tossed about in cabinets, chances are that crawling insects and rodents have been in the kitchen, too.
It also doesn’t hurt to ask the real estate agent or the current homeowners about any fumigations or exterminations that have taken place in the home in the past. This will give you an idea as to what pests might be common in the area, and you can also pay particular attention to the areas of the home that have seen a past infestation to confirm that everything was properly resolved.
While conducting this search on your own is a great start, Bradbury also strongly advises that prior to purchasing the home, you contact a professional pest control company to perform a more thorough and aggressive investigation so that you can be confident that your new home is pest-free.
