pest inspection - what to do next? buy or not.

[rexilla99]

Had a building and pest inspection done. The report came back saying that there was minor previous termite damage to bedroom window and wardrobe and also garage window. There are NO termites active and a termite barrier was put in May 2006. They could not inspect one bedroom with adjoins onto the garage and the bedroom that had previous termite damage due to the tenents having boxes filled to the top of the ceiling.

The inpector only gave it a visual inspection and said it only minor, but he also advised that the only way to know is to pull out the walls.

The building and inspection clause has already gone buy I am only left with the finance clause. The property is in average condition for a 5 years old house. I would buy with the current damages that I can see. But the last thing I want to do is to buy and find out 2 years down the track that I have a repair bill of $10,000.

The vendors have sent a pest report of the chemical barrier installatipn. But when ask for a building report for the termite damage they did not have one as they didnt know about the damage. Their previous inspector didnt do a thorough job. The reason why I know this is because when my inspector tapped on the skirting board of the wardrobe it cracked in front of my eyes.

So is there a way I can find out the true damage in the walls with some type of machine? OR should I just ask for a $5000 reduction?

Any ideas please let me know.

 

[JFisher]

Some Pest Control companies have a thermal camera that can detect active termites inside your wall cavity. If the house had a general underspray on the slab before concrete was poured then this should be good for 7-10 years unless high water levels have leached the chemical away prematurely. Chemical spray (part a & b) has a finite life which is why it is important to keep up your pest inspections with a reputable pest control contractor.

Keep garden beds away from the house and make sure that weep holes in brickwork are not covered by debris, soil etc as this can provide entry for termites. Dont overwater your gardens and lawns as this can leach chemical away from the house.

Termites wouldn't have appeared because the tenants had boxes stacked to the ceiling; this just would have provided protection for them when they located a way in from the outside so make sure that if you buy the house you know where (how) they came in and that the problem has been fixed.

You could always locate a stud inside the cavity wall and get a carpenter to drive a long nail into it in certain spots to see if the timber is still strong; not the most definitive but would give some idea and would be easy to patch and paint. Short of that I would still try for a reduction in price and then get the most obviously damaged wall's plaster removed, repair any damaged studs and then assess if you should go further. If it is too scary then you should pull out.

Julie Fisher
Daryl Fisher Homes

 

[George]

I saw one pest inspector in action and he had a kind of gun, which beeped couple of times.

When I asked what does it do, he said it locates moisture, which equates to presence of water and any living organism in walls, floor and ceiling.

Now not sure if I got it right.

 

[George]

Almost forgot to mention.


You can play a hard ball and ask your lawyer to put in contract clause to withhold certain amount of money, as you are not 100% sure what is extent of damage.

Withhold enough money to cover additional pest inspection due to obstruction and possible structural repairs.

Of course other layer and owner do not have to agree, so ball comes back to you.


Part of the problem is that if we start spending money on inspections, we start to think of the money being lost, and we desperately look for reason to go ahead with the purchase, in other words we get emotional and irrational.

We should be looking at money spent on inspection as insurance cost to prevent major blunder, but easy to say being just a bystander.

 

[rexilla99]

I am not worried if there are live termites becuase there is termidor in place and also 2 different inpectors saying theres none active. I am just worried about the extent damage.

The said damage is minor, but the only way to tell is to pull the walls off. Once then there may or may not be damage. But this is where the problem is - I dont think any vendor in the world would let you pull any walls off.

The house im buying is $265 and located 16km away from the city. Its hard to find 5 year old houses 3 bed 1 bath 2dlug for that price anymore. Not sure what to do.

 

[geoffw]

The house im buying is $265 and located 16km away from the city.

Wow, cheap.

I'd almost be willing to pay $265K.

 

[RichardK]

when my inspector tapped on the skirting board of the wardrobe it cracked in front of my eyes.

a simple test is to knock the skirting boards in every room with a screwdriver handle. You can hear the difference between solid wood and eaten, hollow wood. Knock every 30cms or so. Check door frames too.

One house I saw with damage had one windowsill hollowed out completely but the side frames and the window next to it was 100% intact. Same termites had created a single path to other side of house inside tongue & groove of floorboards and eaten into a cardboard box of books

Concrete slab or piers and joists ?? If can get under house, check around every pier and along all walls with a bright light - I prefer a 500W floodlight. You need to get within a metre of each wall/pier to be able to see the mud trails.

Is under the house damp and dark ? termites love that. Get ventilation happening - a 30cm exhaust fan on a timer so that it doesn't annoy you at night.

For 265k, it sounds like good value even if you have to spend 10k later on doing repair/reno

 

[tubs]

Personally, I'd be thinking about walking away. Its hard to sleep at night if you're worried about termites, and a potential damage bill. If there are other houses in the area for a similar price, I'd give this one a miss.

That's just me.

 

[Smile]

Hi
So is there a way I can find out the true damage in the walls with some type of machine? OR should I just ask for a $5000 reduction?

What have you got to lose put in the lower offer due to termite damage!
If they refuse you can always pay the agreed price if you really want it.

 

[rexilla99]

The price does seem good value, I had my eyes in this area for while. I think the inspectors give me too much details to cover there behinds.

 

[JFisher]

It didn't occur on my previous post but I would ask the council or building inspector what type of termite protection was installed originally. Many termite products carry a limited warranty and given the young age of the house you may be able to lodge a claim for all damage. Make sure you ring the company as some companies only allow for the original purchaser to make the claim and not subsequent owners.

The only thing that will work against you is if the owners have done something to breach the warranty conditions such as not having a regular inspection...could be other requirements also...

Termites will go for the soft wood first so arch's skirts and cupboards will be hit first then the harder wood in the frames etc. Anywhere where there has been a penetration through the slab such as kitchen waste, laundry waste and bathrooms, check these areas carefully and the timber products in them.

You can get treated timber now which deters termite attack so if you do buy the house and have to replace a few studs and plates get the treated pine.

It's seems that the house is great value from the other posts and while termite damage sounds bad it is working in your favour. Get as much off the price as you can and take a chance that it will be ok. At the end of the day it is land that is appreciating..If there are no active termites then stripping a couple of rooms will not cost too much (unless you choose your contractors carelessly) but if the whole house needs doing then I would negotiate hard or walk away. Good luck

Julie Fisher
Daryl Fisher Homes

 

[rexilla99]

There is chemical barried drilled every 200mm. they use termidor. Its been in for 9 months and need to do annual inspection to keep the 5 year warranty.

Have spoke to the pest control and they said that warranty will be transferred to new owner. Which is a good thing.

 

[MacWilsons]

Dont worry about the termite damage - a few studs and gyprock are easy and cheap to replace. If the house seems good value buy it - the land is the key after all. I bought a place in Blue Mountians on two lots - old house in bad shape with moderate visible termite damage in house and active termites in an outside shed. Offer accepted ($285,000) well below asking price (320,000). Latest valuation four years on is $410,000. I repaired all the termite damage myself and gyprocked. demolished shed also. Go for Gold!!!

 

[JamesGG]

Hiya,

Unfortunately, now that the clause has expired, you have two options:

- Go ahead with the purchase as is, or,
- Ask for a reduction based on finance.

You will need something in writing from your broker or lender that says you cannot borrow enough to make the purchase proceed. Let the vendors / agent know though, that if they're happy to drop the price by $x amount then you'll be able to go ahead.

Whilst termite damage might be your reasoning, it's now irrelevant to the contract, I'm afraid.

Good luck,

James.

 

[pudestcon]

Quick test

G'day Rexilla99,

The way I understand your post is that you have been assured there are no active termites and that you are just worried about structural and other damage already done that you cannot get access to for a visual inspection.

What about the ceiling and roof timbers?

A quick test for structural integrity of the timber wall frames would be to apply sideways pressure to the wall halfway between the ceiling and the floor. You need to apply pressure (by pushing with both hands) against each stud in turn. You can locate the studs by tapping with a hammer along the wall until a more solid sound is detected. Studs are usually placed at 600mm centres or 450mm centres so they should not be too hard to find. When pushing against the stud relative silence is required so you can detect any "crushing" or "splintering" sound. Also it will be easier to achieve sideways movement of affected studs than non affected studs.

Cheers,

Pud

 

[rexilla99]

I the building and pest were 2 different people but worked for the same company. Each said that no studs had damage from termites from banging. The building inspector said that he banged harder than usual to see if anything would fall in the walls of the house.

Maybe I'm just too paranoid
I have ask for a reduction, lets see what the vendors say. Wish me luck.