termites question ?

We had our *hopefully* future home inspected , and they discovered termites. We'll have to have a termite guy come in about once a year . I understand they are pretty common on Long Island. I just don't remember my parents having to have a termite guy, or anyone else , for that matter. Is it really that common a problem?

Re: termites question ?

If active termites were found, the homeowner is required to get a treatment before closing.
Termites are pretty common on LI, the environmental conditions are very favorable for them around here. Not everyone has infestation, but might have past damage. A lot of the times the termites are living inside the walls where you can't see them, and you'll only realize they are around once they have eaten enough that the damage becomes evident.

Re: termites question ?

We had termite damage to our house that we were buying. The seiller hired the termite inspection team we had used to come in and complete all the necessary repairs to the house, and completed a full spray of the yard - we'll continue this practice each year ourselves.

Re: termites question ?

My mom's a decorative painter and just had a client who just moved into a house. She paid my mom for samples and materials and booked her and she never heard from her again. We were out to eat this weekend and mom saw her and went over to make sure she was OK. Turns out the house they moved into had to have all the sheetrock and flooring removed because it was so infested that the beams were just rotted. The inspector found out they had termites and the owners disclosed it and got it treated, but apparently it wasn't treated properly or it was a chronic problem. So sad. Not to scare you but it made me worry that an inspector could have been this wrong. The previous owners weren't malicious about it or hiding that there were termites, so I don't know that they have any recourse...

Message edited 4/10/2007 12:31:54 PM.

Re: termites question ?

Termite damage was also discovered on our home during the inspection. The previous owner had to replace the damaged section of support beam in our cellar and also had to provide a certificate that the termite service was paid up for the year.

They already had a system and traps installed by Suburban, but I guess they had let the contract expire when they moved out (our house was vacant) and some damage was done. We now pay $350 a year for the service. I believe it is $$$ to have the traps installed.

Re: termites question ?

My parents found termite damage when they bought their house years ago and have someone come and do a preventative treatment every year. I didn't realize they had this until I was buying my house (I lived there for over 20 years too).

Re: termites question ?

yes they are very common the house we just bought had a termite problem. By Law the seller has to resolve this issue before closing. The house hs to be guranteed termite free for one year and any damage repaired. Make sure you put that in your contract and that your lawyer knows this.

Re: termites question ?

if you have a house on long island...it has/had termites and/or termite damage. just remember that the sellers are only liable to have work done to the house if there is a live infestation. if it is just damage, you can ask them to pay for a treatment prior to closing but they dont HAVE to do it if they dont want to.

Re: termites question ?

termites are very common. they travel from home to home. so if your next door neighbor has them and treats them, they like to swarm to the next house. also, if your house is on a slab (no basement), you are more susceptible to termites.

Re: termites question ?

Our inspector discovered termite damage in the house we bought last year.

He said that there are three types of houses on LI: those that HAVE termites, those that HAD them and those that are GONNA have them.

Because it wasn't a live infestation, we just got paperwork from the sellers about the course of treatment they used and the repairs...and we quickly renewed the Terminix contract!

Re: termites question ?

We had past damage on the house we bought also. No active termites now (the owners have Terminex), but they did a number on one of the beams in the past. We wound up negotiating the price based upon the quote we got from a contractor. We want to get it repaired ourselves actually--we were concerned the current owners may just have someone slap something together.

They are very common on LI, so this is not surpising at all. At least you don't have damage.