The last thing you or a buyer want to deal with when you’re trying to sell your house fast is any surprises. And there is perhaps no worse surprise than to find out that your house is infested with termites! Now, you have a huge problem to deal with that is going to cost a lot of money to fix and is likely to scare off any market buyers no matter what. You still have to deal with the termite damage and get rid of the termites altogether, but that’s just the beginning of your concerns. Termites can cause a ripple effect that will alter the way you need to look at selling your Michigan house, especially if you want to sell it on the open market or fast.
That said, it’s entirely possible to sell a house with termites or termite damage. You’re just going to have to be strategic about it and plan accordingly. 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 810 Home Buyers.
How to Sell a House with Termite Damage
Try to Get Rid of the Termites
The first step when you have a house with termite damage is perhaps the most obvious one. Before you consider selling the house on the open market, you need to get rid of the termite colony and stop them from causing any further damage. It’s extremely unlikely you would ever be able to sell a house with an ongoing termite infestation on the open market.
You could try to remove the termites on your own but unless you’re an expert who understands where to look and how deep the problem goes, you won’t be able to get rid of the entire colony. Ask yourself, do you know what mud tubes and shed wings look like? Can you spot signs of a termite colony, like a sagging laminate flooring? And do you know every place you need to consider looking in order to make sure the colony is eradicated? And do you know how to get rid of termites in a way that is safe for your family or pets?
Find a reliable pest control company or exterminator in your Michigan area with a good reputation. You want to find a company that can give you a fair quote and explains what their plan for extermination and prevention will be. Be prepared to pay a solid amount of money for the service. It’s not uncommon for it to cost over $1,000, depending on the termite damage. That said, if your goal is to sell the house on the open market, it’s pretty much a required cost in order to appease buyers.
Get Your House Inspected Again
If you want to sell your Michigan house with termite damage to prospective buyers on the open market, you will need to disclose that the home had termite issues even after you got rid of them. Unfortunately, that is going to scare off some buyers and it isn’t much you can do about that. Still, you always want to make sure you’re being honest with anyone interested in buying your house. You don’t want people to find out afterward that there was termite damage you hadn’t disclosed. That’s just bad business, and it can also get you into legal trouble.
It’s vital that you get a secondary termite inspection after the house has been treated and the colony has been eradicated. You’ll receive a written report that proves the home is termite-free and can be provided to interested buyers who are searching for a little peace of mind.
Another inspection will cost you between $200 and $500, on average, depending on where you live and the size of your house. This is another necessary cost in the process when selling on the open market. It might not feel necessary but you don’t want the buyer’s or lender’s inspection report to uncover something you didn’t, and then you’re on the hook to make concessions or you might even lose the sale.
Be Preventative
Getting rid of termites that caused damage to your Michigan house is good. Ensuring that no termites show up in the future to cause further damage is better. A good exterminator will put some preventative measures in place, but there are some things you should be considered as well.
Make sure you install mesh screenings on any external vents so termites aren’t able to crawl inside. Get your house treated for subterranean termites that can crawl up from underneath it. Fix any cracks left behind that termites could crawl into, especially if they were caused by termites in the first place.
Your house should be as inhospitable as possible to future termites, not to mention any other pests that might want to take their place. Every crack, hole, and crevice in your house is a potential termite entry point, so make sure there’s no way for them to climb inside and cause more havoc.
Get a Termite Warranty
If you’re selling a house with termite damage on the open market, one way to give buyers peace of mind is to buy a termite warranty from the pest control company that gets rid of them. Many extermination companies will offer a multi-year warranty after they’ve completed the job. This gives you a guarantee that termites will not return following treatment. And if they do somehow return, the company is required to come back to take care of it free of charge.
The most important part of the warranty is that it transfers to the new homeowner. Otherwise, it’s kind of a waste. So make sure that’s built into the warranty.
Be Upfront & Honest
No matter what, be truthful, upfront, and honest when discussing termite damage in your house. If that means a buyer walks away, so be it. The truth is that they were probably going to find a reason to back out the deal anyway if that’s the case. But it’s always important to be honest so that you and the buyer are on the same page. Make sure they can see all the paperwork that proves the work done and that termites have been removed. You might even want to share any tips or tricks you learned just in case they have to deal with them in the future.
Consider Selling Your House With Termite Damage As-Is
Even if you do everything that we mentioned and fix everything perfectly, there are no guarantees that you will be able to sell your Michigan house with termite damage fast on the open market. The truth is that buyers on the open market simply may not buy your house because of the termite damage, even if it’s been fixed. The housing marketplace is competitive and there are plenty of homes available without termite damage for buyers to think about. You are likely to stay on the market longer and not get the price you were hoping for. And the longer your house stays on the market, the more money comes out of your pocket.
An alternative solution is to sell your house directly to a cash buyer or investor like 810 Home Buyers. It’s a simple process that can be done fast and put cash directly into your pocket.
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 will buy your house as-is. 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 and put together a fair offer that benefits everyone, we’ll make that offer to you. If you accept, we can close in a matter of days, it’s up to you. Then, you get cash for your house and we will deal with the termite damage from here on out. You get to start fresh and not have to spend time or money worrying about termite damage anymore.