inspection

Are you being eaten out of house & Home Simi Valley Termite Inspection?

Are you being eaten out of house & Home Simi Valley Termite Inspection?

Simi-Valley-Termite-repairs-dry-rot Understanding how a termite inspection will impact the sale of your Simi Valley Home is an important issue. Early action can save you frustration and headache. If you are planning to list your home, now is the time to get and inspection. Inspections are cheap ranging form $75.00 to $100.00 depending on the company. If you have a pest control service for regular pest control call you company and ask if they have a discount for inspection and any work they recommend. If you do not have a termite company here are a few local companies you can call.

Simi Valley Termite Inspectors

Simi Valley Termite Company (805) 522-4334

Gold Coast Termite & Pest Control (805) 526-1150

Zwaag Termite Control (805) 526-7040

Once you are in escrow, a termite inspection will be ordered if you did not do this prior to accepting an offer on your home. Generally, unless otherwise agreed, the Seller will pay for a termite inspection and any corrective work that is outlined in the inspection report. The repair cost will vary dependent upon what is found and the size of structure. Fumigation is based off the cubic volume of the structure and other repairs can include replacing any wood damaged by wood destroying pests and wood destroying organisms (dry rot). The inspection is limited to the accessible areas of the structure, which include the attic Simi-Valley-Termite-fumigation-dry-rot and the crawl space under a raised foundation home. The inspector will look for moisture damage, dry rot and evidence of wood destroying pest activity. The inspector will also look for a tag on the structure (usually located in the garage) of previous termite inspections. A corrective list will be itemized in the report along with a cost to repair any damage found. Older homes that have not been inspected in a long time can not only have physical repair, but also require fumigation, heat treatments or foam treatments.

Make sure to that anything stored up against the walls of your garage is moved back so the inspector can see the perimeter of the garage on the inside.

Here are some of the tell-tale areas you can check for in your home to see if termites and dry rot are about to run up a large repair bill.

Exterior paint on trim and siding. If the paint is flaking and wearing away, exposed wood will be susceptible to wood destroying organisms such as dry rot. Exposed wood needs to be scraped, sanded, primed and repainted. Minor cracks in the wood should be filled with caulking or bondo before primer is applied. Wood areas that are exposed to direct sunlight for the longest hours of the day will show the biggest signs of paint failure.
Any wood touching dirt or grass will be a candidate for dry rot and termites. Keep these areas well sealed with paint and try to control the moisture this wood may be exposed to.
Do not pile fire wood, yard trimmings, debris or lumber up against the side of your home. This will create a perfect highway for termites and other insects to attack your home.
Look for piles of droppings near base-boards, window-sills, interior garage walls, exterior walls of the house. Droppings are small, course, pepper-like pellets that can be reddish-brown in color.

Understanding Section 1 and Section Two repairs on your report. Generally Section One covers any infestation of damage the inspector finds. Repairs and treatment under this section are the responsibility of the seller. Section Two are noted conditions that may lead to future infestation or damage. These items are the responsibility of the buyer.

The above information is provided as a courtesy and is not all inclusive. You should have your home inspected by a licensed professional termite company as you will not be able to identify all the areas of your home that may be affected by wood destroying pests and wood destroying organisms. The information contained herein is believed accurate. It is intended to provide general answers to general questions and is not intended as a substitute for individual legal advice. Advice in specific situations may differ depending upon a wide variety of factors. Therefore, readers with specific legal questions should seek the advice of an attorney

Home Inspection Nightmares

I promise not to completely trash the home inspection industry, but I think it is very important that everyone understand that there is NO REGULATION in this industry. If I want to be a home inspector:

I can have business cards printed up and some letterhead, Buy a few basic tools, a clipboard and I am good to go.
If I have a few bucks to fund this experiment, then I can buy all the inspection forms online and look a little more professional.
If I decide to really make this a business, then I can sign up for classes and work to get CREA and ASHI certified.

CREA – The California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA) is a voluntary, nonprofit public-benefit organization of real estate inspectors.
ASHI – The American Society of Home Inspectors

Looking at the construction industry (where many of these inspectors come from) the average length a contractor’s licenses stays active in California is 18 months. With over 300,000 licenses in the state and 650 applications coming in per week the turn over in the business is high.

Here are a few of the problems I have encountered with inspectors. (Please note these were inspectors brought by the buyer when I was representing the Seller).

Case #1

This home was located in Simi Valley. The inspector called for an anti-siphon cover on the pool drain and call out exposed wires in the pool light socket (pool light had been removed).
The inspector never removed the skimmer cover to inspect the skimmer. Had he done his job he would have seen that the drain line was plugged permanently with cement, so a anti-siphon cover was not needed. More importantly his clients should have been notified on his report of the plugged drain line.
If the inspector knew the mechanics behind pool lights, he would have known that this would have been impossible. Pool lights are hard wired with a very long wire to reach the junction box. The entire wire goes with the light when installed or replaced. The Seller abandon the use of the pool light years ago. There were no exposed wires.

Case #2

On another home I represented the Seller, the buyer’s inspector claim the HVAC was broken, yet the inspector never turned it on because he could not locate the thermostat.

In these two instances the buyers were dis-serviced by the inspector they paid and the the sellers were harmed because the buyers started to make demands based of the faulty inspection.

Another problem these inspectors make is calling out new code on older homes. As long as it is not a governmental mandatory retrofit standard then an older home does not have to be brought to current code. The inspector should explain this to his clients.

Last I do have to put some heat on the agents. Here in my trade area the two governmental mandatory retrofit standards are bracing the water heater and smoke detectors. KNOW THE LAW.

There is a certain type of state approved material to strap a water heater, Rope is not approved.
Smoke detectors are not required in every bedroom on homes built before 1992
unless more than $1,000.00 of permitted improvements have been done to the home. I had a 25 year veteran Broker try to make my selllers put smoke detectors in every room in the house. I felt funny having to show him the current regulation.

I have several inspectors I work with and trust. Here is the criteria that is important when helping buyers find a good home inspector.

Time in the business. How many inspections have they done?
Area they work? If they have been working your trade area for many years, then they will know the idiosyncrasies that are common with certain tracts, developments or builders.
Member of ASHI and CREIA?
References
Bonded and Insured (E&O)

DON’TS when hiring and inspector