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So you are about to buy a home and the house does not have current termite protection
A trend we have seen over the past few years is that home buyers are expecting to buy homes with up to-date termite protection and that it is installed according to the current Australian Standards.
Often the person looking at purchasing a home without current termite protection will negoiate with the seller to bring it up-to-date before settlement. Another option is for buyers to obtain a quote for termite protection from a termite company of their choice and have the agreed price reduced on the purchasing price of the house. The first option is often the most common but can be fraught with many problems.
Just last week we were asked to quote by a home seller on protection for a large home that needed it's chemical barrier brought up to date as the existing termite protection was ten years out of date. The person looking at buying the home had requested that the seller renew the chemical barrier as part of the settlement arrangement. Our quote for protection came in at $4350.00. The seller requested that we match a lower price of $1500 which was provided by another company. It was explained to the seller that $1500 is below the chemical cost to do complete a barrier with chemicals that are meeting Australian Standards. The sellers reply was, "I don't care what you do as long as I get the correct paper work to sell the house". Speaking with many other reputable termite companies this type of behaviour is not uncommon. The question must be asked what type of chemical is being used at this price, or has the barrier be completed correctly?
Ponder this.....if the house you are buying does not have an up-to-date Termite Chemical Barrier installed by the current owner then there is a good chance that the owner has never placed value on protecting the home from termites while living there. For this reason alone they will not place any value on spending the correct amount to get a full and compliant Termite Chemical Barrier in place to ensure the sale of the home.
Our Advice to the Home Seller
If you are thinking of selling a house in the near future it is important for you to keep an up-to-date Termite Protection Plan. Many of our current home owners have stated that having a regular maintained Termite Protection Plan had enabled them to sell their home at the price they wanted without having to negotiate a reduced price.
Our Advice to the Home Buyer
Our advice to home buyers is simple. Negotiate to have a Termite Company you trust to quote on the upgrade of a Termite Protection Plan on the house you are looking at purchasing and agree on having this price reduce before final settlement. As a home buyer you need to keep control of the process to ensure that your new dream house does not get destroyed by termites.
When it comes to Termite Protection and buying a home you should be prepared to take control of the negotiations. At Brisbane Termite Treatments we can offer you a full array of services when it comes to buying a new home. We can prepare a full Pre-Purchase Termite Pest Inspection or if you already have one we can offer a free check and quote on any Termite Protection Plan you require before the purchase contract settles.
Don’t get pressured into making a final decision without the right advice, call us now on 3823 2500 to get a quote from a company you can trust.