Real estate agent CHRISTINE SHAW explains the benefits of having a house pest and termite proof before a sale. This is a sponsored post.

THE positive of being known as the bush capital is that we have none of the traffic congestion of other capital cities. Where else can you be three kilometres from Civic riding on a bike at Yarralumla and not see a building anywhere? 

The practicalities of being a bush capital means we share our homes close to nature – blue tongue lizards, wombats, kangaroos – and those pesky termites. 

When the time comes to sell and the building inspector finds a hollow sound in the skirting boards or architraves, it could mean termites.

The universal plea is always: “But we get inspections every year!”. This is promptly followed by me saying: “Pest inspections or heat-sensing termite inspections?” It is often “pest inspections” as the answer. Two very different services.  

Our pest inspectors in Canberra are great, and provide a brilliant service. However, a termite specialist with heat-sensor equipment is needed to determine if you have termite activity behind the gyprock.  

So many of us in our region live near reserves and waterways, and many homes could be near rotten tree stumps that haven’t been stump-ground. The nest could be anywhere up to 50 or 100 metres away.

To my horror recently an arborist told a client to keep filling the tree stump with water to make the sides collapse over the coming months, instead of paying for the stump grinding. That’s like putting up a “Termites Welcome” sign, as they’re attracted to water and soft timber. My advice is never get a tree taken down unless you can also afford to do the stump grinding. 

The mere word “termites” can make buyers run. However, on repeated occasions, I have seen it is how the owner handles the situation that can still result in a good sale price being achieved.

In a recent situation, a building inspector noticed a hollow sound in an architrave. My client was so determined she was not passing on a problem to a future owner, she called Richard at Dr Maks Pest Control to use the heat-sensing equipment throughout the house and yard. The termites were not in the house, but in the fence. My client then paid an additional $5500 for a termite perimeter protection system with an eight-year warranty. Two weeks after Dr Maks visited, we sold before the auction for a very good price. 

If you want to protect possibly your most expensive asset, the cost of an annual visit by a termite specialist is minimal. 

Feel free to contact Richard at Dr Maks Pest Control on 6255 3255 or killbugs@bigpond.net.au – he can spend any amount of time chatting about these pesky termites.

Contact Christine Shaw, of Christine Shaw of Blackshaw Manuka, on 0405 135009 or cshaw@blackshaw.com.au

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