Straight Talk About Real Estate

It is customary for the seller to provide the buyer with a termite report and clearance as part of the purchase agreement. (This, however, is negotiable.) The buyer has a right to approve the termite report. If there was an extraordinary damage to the house due to termite, the buyer can elect not to purchase the house.

It is usually the seller’s choice of which termite company he wants to use. However, if he decides to change to another termite company to do the work after the buyer has already approved the report, the seller needs to inform all parties so the buyer can be given the chance to approve the second termite report. Different termite companies can come up with different findings. Whichever company that will be doing the repair work and issuing the warranty is the one the buyer needs to approve. Obviously it is no use for the buyer to approve a termite report when the work is not even going to be done based on that report.

If you are a seller, it is better to have your house inspected for termites before you open escrow. Get as many estimates as you want. Then when you have a buyer for the house, you show him the one that you will be using to do the work. Then there is no confusion.