There's a Mouse in the House!

The planning phase of a home renovation project is an exciting time. You are able to visualise what you want from your home and then put the pieces into place. But during the planning phase, consider inspecting your property for pests.

A pest inspection before a renovation offers several benefits.

1. Prevents Future Infestations

If your area already has pests, such as rats, carpenter ants or termites, then conducting a pest inspection before your renovation would be wise. This is because during the inspection, the pest inspector will uncover any areas of your home that could be susceptible to pest invasion.

For instance, if an inspector discovers that your window frames have some rot, they will inform you of the risk that this poses. Termites love rotting wood, and so your window frames could become targets in future.

This is beneficial because during your renovations, you can replace or repair any areas of your home that might cause a pest infestation. You can also renovate with the additional aim of reducing the possibility of a future pest infestation, such as replacing wooden windows with vinyl windows.

2. Uncovers Damage Caused By Pests

What happens if you renovate your home only to have all your hard work undone by undiscovered damage? For instance, if you renovate your kitchen, and fail to spot the termite damage in your flooring, you might then later have to replace that flooring. This would cost you more money and could compromise the new design of your kitchen.

If a pest inspection uncovers damage before you begin renovations, you can carry out repairs before your renovation.

3. Stops the Spread of Pests

Fast-moving pests like rats and mice could also take advantage of your home renovations. They could do this once your renovations are underway. For instance, because renovations open up additional areas of your home, such as crawl spaces and wall cavities, rodents could use that opportunity to move into those areas.

If those pests then go undetected until after your renovations are completed, you could soon be listening to rodents scampering around inside your walls and under your floorboards. This could prove costly if you then have to access those areas to remove the rodents.

If you are about to renovate your home, consider hiring a pest inspector to carry out an inspection before you begin. Pest inspections only take one to two hours and can save you both time and money in the long run.