Around this time of year homeowners should be on the lookout for termite activity.
Late winter and early spring is when these insects are at their busiest. With plenty of moisture in the air and daily temperatures rising, the conditions are ideal for termites as they scout for new food, search for places to live and establish new colonies.
Contrary to popular belief, termites are not ants and in fact are most closely related to cockroaches. Nonetheless, they can cause a huge amount of very expensive damage to homes by eating away at timber, undetected from within the beams and boards.
A competent pest controller can provide you with a report on possibly termite activity in you home or yard and precautionary actions to prevent infestations. These actions mostly involve inspections of the area above the ceiling and below ground level.
In Western Australia it is common for homebuyers to obtain a pre-purchase termite inspection as a condition of the property sale. There are several options available to homebuyers when considering this.
A pre-purchase inspection can range from basic termite clearance to a much more extensive inspection of all timber pest activity including borers and other pests. It is up to the purchaser to elect to have the inspection done. When the purchaser is satisfied with the type of inspection they want, they will need to include a suitable clause on the Offer and Acceptance contract as a condition to the sale.
To assist with this, the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia has drafted two standard clauses including a 'Termite Clearance Clause' and 'Timber Pest Pre-purchase Inspection Clause.'
Both make it a condition of the contract that a report is obtained from a licensed pest control operator at the purchaser's expense within a given time period. Usually this is not more than five business days before settlement.
The Termite Clearance Clause requires certification that all structural improvements are free from termite activity on the date of inspection and whether there was previous damage. The Timber Test Pre-purchase Inspection clause requires that the inspection also considers termites and all other timber pests.
If either report uncovers any termite or pest activity of damage to the structural improvements, the seller will be required to remedy the situation at the seller's expense. If the seller declines to take appropriate action then the purchaser can cancel the contract.
The REIWA standard clauses are only recommended clauses and purchasers are free to choose their own set of words to form a condition of the sale. Equally, a purchaser can choose not to have any pest inspection form part of the contract if it is felt unnecessary.
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