There is probably nothing worse to hear when you’re trying to sell your house fast than that your home is infested with termites. Termite damage is the kind of problem that can be a giant red flag when trying to sell your house. The truth is that it’s probably going to cost a lot of money to fix the damage and will still scare off many market buyers even if you fix it. Dealing with the termite damage and getting rid of the termites altogether is just the beginning of your problems. Termite damage can cause a chain reaction in how you look at selling your Utah house, especially if you want to sell it fast on the open market.
All of that said, it is possible to sell your Utah house with termites or termite damage. You’re just going to have to be smart in how you go about it. If you plan to sell on the open market you have to consider how termite damage will impact the price you’ll get and how long your house is on the market. Of course, you can also sell your house fast for cash to a real estate investor like Axess Home Buyers. We’ll buy your house as-is and we’ll pay you cash for it.
Let’s take a look at how you can sell a house with termites
Get Rid of the Termites if You Can
The first thing to do when you have a house with termite damage is also the most obvious solution. Before you sell your Utah house on the open market, you need to exterminate the colony and prevent them from causing further damage. It’s very unlikely you will be able to sell a house with ongoing termite problems on the open market. Buyers have too many options available to them to settle for a problem house.
You could also try to remove the termites on your own but it’s very like you won’t be able to get rid of the entire colony unless you’re an expert or professional. You need to know what to look for, such as mud tubes and shed wings. Can you spot signs of a termite colony, like a sagging laminate flooring? You also need to know all of the places to look in order to make sure the colony is fully eliminated. And do you know how to get rid of termites in a way that is safe for family members, pets, and guests?
Your best bet is to find a reliable pest control company or exterminator in your Utah area. Make sure you look for one with a good reputation or one that comes recommended by someone you trust. You want to find a company that can give you a fair quote and explains what their plan for extermination and prevention will be. It’s not unheard of for the extermination service to cost $1,000 or more, depending on the termite damage in the house. That might sound like too much but if your goal is to sell the house on the open market in Utah, it’s basically a requirement.
Get Your Utah House Inspected Afterward
If you want to sell your Utah house with termite damage to buyers on the open market, you will need to disclose that the home had termite issues even if you’ve eliminated the colony. That is going to scare off some buyers but there’s not much you can do about that. You always want to be honest with anyone interested in buying your house even if it means they don’t buy your house. You don’t want the buyer to find out afterward that there was termite damage you hadn’t previously disclosed. Not only is it bad karma but it can get you into legal trouble.
It’s critical that you get a termite inspection after the house has been treated and the colony has been removed. You’ll get a written report that shows the home is free of termites. You can then provide that report to interested buyers who want some peace of mind.
This second inspection will probably cost you $200 to $500, depending on the size of your house and where you live in Utah. This is yet another necessary cost if you’re going to sell your house on the open market. Perhaps it doesn’t feel necessary but you don’t want the buyer to uncover something you didn’t in their own inspection. Then you’re on the hook to make up for it through concessions. You might even lose the sale because of it.
Be Preventative About Future Termite Damage
Getting rid of termites that caused damage to your Utah house is a good first step. Making sure that no termites show up in the future to cause further damage is even better. A good exterminator will be sure to put some preventative measures in place, but it’s up to you to take steps as well.
The first thing to do is install mesh screenings on any external vents so termites aren’t able to get back inside. Make sure your Utah house is treated for underground termites that can crawl up from below. Also make sure you fix cracks left behind that termites could crawl into, especially if termites caused those cracks to begin with.
While you want your Utah house to be hospitable to humans, you want it to be inhospitable as possible to termites (and any other pests or insects that might want to come inside). Every crevice and hole in your home is a potential place where termites can enter and live, so make sure there’s no way for them to get in.
Get a Termite Warranty
If you’re selling a Utah house with termite damage on the open market, one way to give buyers some peace of mind is to get a termite warranty from the pest control company that treated your property. Most extermination companies will offer a multi-year warranty after they’ve completed getting rid of the bugs. Obviously, this will give you a guarantee that termites will not return following treatment. But if they do come back, the company is required to return and get rid of them free of charge.
However, the most critical and important part of the warranty is that it will remain in place after you sell the house. This way, the new homeowner can count on that if they buy the house. So make sure that it is built into the termite warranty.
Consider Selling Your House With Termite Damage As-Is
Even if you do everything that we mentioned regarding termite damage and fix the house perfectly, there are still no guarantees that you will be able to sell your Utah house fast on the open market. The truth is that many buyers on the open market simply may not be interested in buying your property because of the termite damage, even if they’ve been exterminated. The housing market is very competitive and there are plenty of homes available without termite damage for buyers to consider. Your Utah house is likely to stay on the market longer and not get the price you were hoping for, which increases costs to you.
An alternative solution is to sell your house directly to a cash buyer or investor like Axess Home Buyers. Theirs is a simple process that can be completed fast and put cash directly into your pocket. Best of all, we will buy your house as-is, which means you don’t even have to deal with the termites. We’ll deal with them instead!
The process begins when you contact us and let us know about your house with termite damage. Don’t worry about fixing it or cleaning up. We’ll gather more information and make an appointment to meet with you or even possibly take a tour. Once we’ve made our assessment, we’ll make that offer to you. If you accept, we can close in a matter of days if you want. Then, you get cash for your house and we will deal with the termite damage from here on out. You’ve got nothing to lose by contacting us and getting a no-obligation offer ASAP.