American Pest Offers Home Buying Tips, Including Termite Inspections

Traditionally, the spring and summer months are the busiest times of the year for the residential real estate market. During this time of the year, the weather is typically more cooperative and many families like to plan a move while their kids are on their summer break. If you’ve been looking to buy a new home, now is definitely the time to begin your search! Here are some helpful tips to get you started off on the right foot for purchasing a new home.

1. Get into touch with a real estate professional early. Don’t settle for the first professional you meet; interview a few first, get references and make sure you voice your opinions for what you are looking for in a new home.

2. Get a pre-approved loan. This will give you the advantage over other home-buyers and it will let you know exactly what price range you should be looking for.

3. Determine what your down payment amount will be; along with funds for the down payment, you’ll want to consider funds for closing costs, which typically run between 2 and 7 percent of a property’s purchase price.

4. Be ready at a moment’s notice to look at listings as soon as they become available. Sometimes, especially in a tight market, hopping on a listing the moment it is advertised is the only way to get exactly what you are looking for.

5. Always keep your mind open to the potential of the listings you look at. Just because the place doesn’t have a gorgeous new kitchen or exactly the bathroom you were looking for, keep in mind that changes can be made and with a few alterations, a home with potential can become the home of your dreams.

Once you have found the house of your dreams (or at least one that you love!), have an inspection done by a qualified professional. You will want to know that the home isn’t going to cost you a significant amount in repairs when you finally move in. Along with an overall inspection, it is very wise to have a termite inspection completed to identify termites and any damage they may have created. A qualified DC termite inspector may notice signs of termite damage that are not obvious to a traditional home inspector. Typically a termite inspector is specially trained in termite identification and can recognize even the smallest sign of termite damage.

What does termite damage look like? It can be many different things, including wood that is sagging or looks water damaged, but a trained termite inspector will know exactly what to look for. Before buying a home, a termite inspection in DC is a wise decision so that you know whether or not your new dream house has ever been ravaged by these wood-destroying insects.