Get the summertime bugs out of your home
What’s bugging you? No, no
…I don’t mean your spouse or your boss or your weight or your
lack of free time. I mean in your house.
The other evening, I picked up my book from the nightstand as I
got into bed. Underneath was a stream of ants! Bleah. The rest of
the night I felt itchy and imagined ants walking over my body as I
slept. Whoa, doggies. Not a restful night for me, and I definitely
need my beauty sleep!
Get the summertime bugs out of your home
What’s bugging you? No, no…I don’t mean your spouse or your boss or your weight or your lack of free time. I mean in your house.
The other evening, I picked up my book from the nightstand as I got into bed. Underneath was a stream of ants! Bleah. The rest of the night I felt itchy and imagined ants walking over my body as I slept. Whoa, doggies. Not a restful night for me, and I definitely need my beauty sleep!
Whether you live in the country or in the heart of the city, pests can invade your home and disturb your serenity. What to do, what to do?
Get your home inspected once a year by a good pest abatement company. With a pest inspection manual, you could probably do it yourself. You look for the mud tunnels in which termites move from their nests in the ground to the wood in your house.
Termites, like vampires, will die if exposed to light and air (though it’s tougher to get a wooden stake through their tiny hearts. Also, keep an eye out for damage to wood, but this is usually not discovered until the damage is done. Dry wood termites are much harder to spot and even tougher to control. You might not notice them until they swarm, but they could have done major damage before then. I think you’re better off getting a professional to do it for you. (Just as when you sell your home. Ahem.)
If you can afford it, you can have your home treated regularly for pests. If you do, the company will constantly keep an eye out for problems, and give you an annual check-up at little or no cost.
During a regular visit, a technician will inspect each room and treat visible nooks and crannies. All appliances, sinks, laundry areas and showers are checked and treated if needed. If there is an attic access, basement or crawlspace, it is included. Then they will treat outside around windows, doors and eaves around the structure. Lastly, shrubbery and ground areas around the entire home are sprayed. It was explained to me that they create an impenetrable barrier so insects cannot come and go at will. Eventually everything within the house will die, and not be replaced by new insects. In theory, anyway.
This regular treatment, whether monthly, bimonthly or quarterly, will also help you control spiders, moths, flies and mosquitoes. If you are bothered by these, don’t use a bug-zapper near your used outdoor areas like porches or patios. It will merely attract insects to the location. And if you use a fly strip, make sure you keep it out of sight. You might be used to it, but your guests at your next barbecue might be put off their tri-tip as it slowly sways in the air above their plate.
Regular pest maintenance, like most other types, pays off when a home is placed on the market. As a seller, you can be relatively certain no surprises will surface when the pest inspection is done for the sale of a home. Not all home sales require a pest clearance, but many lenders require it for their protection of the asset they are using as collateral for a loan.
It’s a good idea to get this inspection done before you put your home on the market. Consider this situation. You wait until you have your home in contract before finding out you need to shell out fifty grand for repairs. You might have made another choice about whether or not you’d sell, or what price you’d list it at, etc. And if you inspect it first, it will minimize the after-inspection renegotiations which often open a can of worms. You don’t want to go there.
If you’re the buyer, you’ll want to make sure that any inspections offered by the seller are recent and completed by totally competent, impartial parties. Your Realtor can help you decide if you want to re-do any of them. (Hint: If an inspection was done by a second cousin with no teeth who got in the business last week, you’ll probably want a second opinion.)
As a buyer, read the reports carefully. If you have any questions, call whoever did the inspection. It’s been my experience that most inspectors really like what they do and are more than willing to talk for hours about it! Go figure.
Now a quick word about the market. Mortgage rates are fabulous, and loan products are phenomenal. I know many of us are skittish about lenders right now, but once again it’s the few who paint the majority with an ugly stain. Your Realtor can help you find a reliable, honest lender who is ethical and enthusiastic and ready to make things happen for you.
It’s definitely a good time for buyers looking for an exceptional home of value. And savvy investors are talking with their Realtors and setting forth action plans. Don’t let this window of opportunity pass you by. Call you local Realtor today.
And be kind to your Realtor.
