Is your home infested with termites? You’re not alone, as each year – according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture; termites contaminate about 600,000 homes across the country. This not only lowers the home resale value but also costs homeowners billions of dollars in termite inspection and pest control treatment.

Termites are of different kinds and they have varying needs. Some enjoy damp environments, while some like it dry and humid. And our homes are often a paradise for these little pests. Whether you’ve bought a new home or you have been living on the same property for years together, termite inspections are a must to identify if your home has been damaged by these little creatures.

Take the Stress Out Of Termite Infestations and Increase Your Home’s Real Estate Value

Termites need to feed just like any other creatures and most termites in North America tend to feed on cellulose-based material such as drywall coverings, furniture, boxes, books and wood which is usually found within your homes. Feeding a colony is no easy feat so termites are always foraging or on the prowl for food.

Termites are attracted to the wooden foundations of your home as well as the moisture it holds. Termites enter your home through the cracks in your walls and form a colony, which is known as a termite infestation.

6 Ways Termite Damage Can Affect Your Home’s Value: 

1. Weakens Your Home’s Structure and Lowers its Aesthetic Appeal

The most serious threat that termites pose to your home is the structural damage they are capable of causing as they can eat their way through your home’s support beams as well as affecting its aesthetic appeal. This directly affects the retail value of your home.

2. Reduces the Value of Your Home

The discovery of termites on your property can reduce its value by almost 20% but only if the infestation is discovered in time to be treated.

Treating your home at the first sign of a termite infestation will help you maintain the value of your home in the long term.

3. Increases Renovation and Repair Costs

Not treating your termite infestations in time can lead to expensive home repairs and renovation as termites tend to chew through the value of your property.

4. Damages Your Furniture

Termites love to eat wood and their appetites are insatiable. A termite infestation will not only damage your wooden furniture, your important papers, carpets but anything that is highly fibrous and has a high cellulose content.

5. Affects Your Home’s Real Estate Value

You are required by the law to disclose the information of any termite infestations to your potential buyers regardless of when it occurred through a disclosure agreement. Termite damage to your home impacts how an appraiser will calculate the value of your home as well as giving your prospective buyers a bargaining chip when it comes to selling your home.

6. Creates a Negative Market Image

Termite infestations create a negative market image for future prospective buyers which can end up scaring off your prospective buyers.

Identifying a Termite Infestation

Here are some signs to look out for to identify a potential infestation, such as:

• Wood Damage and Sawdust Debris- This is the most visible and well-known sign that termites are eating away at your home.
• Mud tubes: These will directly lead you towards the termite colony.
• If your laminated flooring appears to be sagging or appears to have blisters. A spongy floor is a sign of termites as well.
• Cracks in your walls, rafters, beams and ceilings
• Sticking doors and windows: If your doors and windows show any signs of deterioration, it may be a sign of termites.

3 Things You Can do to Increase Your Home’s Resale Value:

       1.Have Your Home Inspected by a Trained Pest Control Inspector

It is best to have a professional termite inspection done prior to putting your home on the market as this latest clean inspection will assure your buyers that there are no termites still present in your home.

2. Purchase an Extended Warranty

A great way to re-assure your potential buyers that your home is termite free is by purchasing an extended termite warranty that can be transferred to their names. If any termites do return then your termite extermination company will provide extermination services at no extra costs.

3. Do Not Hide Termite Damage

Make the sale as easy and comfortable as possible by disclosing all reports, you can also use an updated termite inspection report to reassure your prospective buyers that there are no termites remaining in your home.  This will take the wind out of the sails of any of your potential buyers who want to use your home’s termite history to bargain down your sales price.

How to Prevent Termites from Damaging Your Home?

Homeowners should take termite inspections very seriously. They can significantly save you from expensive treatments that do take a while before your home is completely exterminated.

1. Termite Prevention before Building a Home
   While not always possible, the best termite prevention begins at the planning stages all through the construction of your home. To ensure termites do not enter your home, a Basaltic Termite Barrier made of rock particles is packed tightly beneath your home. Termite mesh, a stainless steel screen with small holes is often used as cold joints in concrete.
2. Termite Prevention in Existing Homes
   Homeowners can do a lot of things to save their termite-infested home from being damaged any further. Here are 5 tips to prevent termites from entering your home:
   • Block any leaks in your home’s waterworks
   • Remove wood, lumber, plants, paper, mulch, and cardboard, etc around the foundation.
   • Ensure that no wood in your home is in direct contact with the soil.
   • Fill in all the cracks on your roof and in your home’s foundation, masonry work and concrete.
   • Schedule a termite check with a pest control expert every 2-3 years.
   • Open your foundation air vents to prevent a buildup of moisture.

   How to Prevent Subterranean Termite Infestations	How to Prevent Drywood Termite Infestations
   Look out for mud tubes, fallen termite wings, or decayed wood in your home. Keep shrubs, and mulch 2 feet away from the structure of your home. Keep soil 6 inches away from the bottom of your home as well as the sides. Keep gutters and downspouts clean.	Trim bushes, shrubs, and all other dense greenery to prevent them from touching the side of your home or structure. Do not leave firewood around as they attract termites. If you still need to keep firewood, make sure they are raised above the ground and protected from water. Remove tree stumps, lumber, and other kinds of loose wood that may be lying in the perimeter of your home.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and need help, our professionals at Termite Inspection Services, Tracy, CA are trained to use safe and effective pest control practices. Feel free to contact us at (209) 832-7300 for any further inquiry or tips concerning termite prevention and control.