It is natural to feel excited when you find a house that fits your image of what you want your new home to be. But before you follow through with buying the home, you should know whether the property has ever had a termite problem. Ideally, your seller would disclose this information, but you may need to be proactive in finding out.
According to Alabama law, a seller must answer your questions about the property. So you can choose to ask about termite damage specifically. You might also discover clues about prior problems with the home by checking its repair history.
What home repairs may tell you
People have many reasons to repair their homes at some point. Sometimes a storm cracks a roof or the gutters. Rain may leak into a living room. Fire damage can necessitate a repair or renovation of one or more rooms. It is also possible a homeowner had experienced one or more termite infestations. This may have resulted in a renovation of a wall or even a large section of one or more rooms.
As U.S. News and World Report explains, a typical home disclosure form describes repairs or renovations performed on the home. Even if the disclosure does not include specific mentions of termite damage, the repair history may clue you into the kind of repairs the home had undergone, like the replacement of floorboards, wall studs and other wood structures. These replacements may signal the home had a termite infestation.
Ask a seller about home repairs
You have the right to inquire further about the kind of repairs done to the home, including if the repairs were for termite damage. Alabama law mandates that home sellers disclose such facts to you or the law may hold them accountable for suppressing facts and misrepresenting the home. Whatever you find out may save you from buying a home with serious problems.
