If your home has been damaged by termites, you're going to have a harder time selling it. This is true whether or not the pests are still active. However, there are buyers out there who are willing to deal with these pests if the price is right and they otherwise like the home. Here are some tips to help you find these buyers and improve their interest in your home.
Have the house treated.
If the house has not yet been professionally treated for termites, it's time to bite the bullet and call a pest control company. Professional termite treatments can be expensive, but you have little hope of finding a buyer without following this step. Having the home treated should not only get the termites under control (if not eradicate them completely), but it also enables you to include the fact that the home has been treated in your listing, which will make buyers more willing to look at the space.
Set your price carefully.
If you over-price the home, two things will happen. Bargain hunters won't even come across your home in the listings because their search parameters will be set to a lower price. And people who show up to look at the home and find that it has termite damage will be turned off and feel too polite to even make a lower offer. Talk to your real estate agent to get a good idea of what the home is actually worth in its present condition — and resist the urge to list it for any more than that.
Work with a real estate agent who has experience selling rehab projects.
Make sure the real estate agent you hire has experience selling fixer-uppers and homes that need work, since termite damage puts your home in that category. This person will know how to write an appealing ad in spite of the home's shortcomings and how to minimize those shortcomings when showing the home to potential buyers. With their expertise, you can have a buyer before you know it.
Get some estimates from repair companies.
Some buyers may make you an offer contingent on repair of certain damage. Other buyers may agree to buy the home, but ask for money off the price so they can have the damage repaired. In either case, it is good to have an estimate for the damage on hand so you can reference it when making these deals with clients.
Contact a company that offers real estate agent services to learn more.
After thinking long and hard about what to do with my living situation, I finally made the decision that it was time to buy a house. I was tired of living paycheck to paycheck because of rent, so I began working with professionals to guide me in the right financial direction. I was able to find a great company that offered exactly what I wanted to learn, and they walked me through the financial aspects of home ownership. Within a few short months, I was living in a gorgeous new home that I absolutely loved. Check out this blog for great advice on home ownership.