It is a dream come true to finally become a homeowner, and there is no question to the fact that you spent a lot of money to achieve this goal. The excitement of having your home is usually long-term, but sooner or later, the realisation that preserving its value means spending a bit of hard-earned cash.
Preserving value means, among other things, preventing losses due to outside threats. This includes everything from insuring against vandalism, theft, fire or other calamity, to installing good locks, lighting and security measures. Preventing pests from eating away at woodwork, wiring and other key parts of your home is one such value preserving technique.
Pest damage can be excluded from insurance
Most people don’t realise that their home insurance may have pest exclusions that mean damage caused by pests isn’t going to be compensated by the insurer. Check your policy documents to confirm and then consider upgrading your cover, or switching companies, if you’re not covered.
Besides putting good insurance in place, pest control services, particularly in London where property prices are so incredibly high, should be regularly used to assess whether you have any pest issues, or risks, and sort any problems you may encounter before they become costly.
Pests are not just rats, mice and cockroaches
There are dozens of troublesome pests which could potentially impact the value of your home. Companies like Empire Pest Control in London treat 10 or more different types of pest issues every day!
It’s usually not until the problem becomes huge, that home owners become familiar with a particular pest. If you’ve never seen the damage caused by termites or woodworms, the first experience can be earth shattering and budget cramping. Having a pest treatment company come to your home and treat the problem is just a fraction of the potential outlay, which can include replacing structural timber, flooring and more.
Proactive pest control has great ROI
The cost of treating a pest infestation and returning a home to its previous status after the fact is much greater than that of proactive inspection and early-stage treatment. Set aside a small amount to have your home properly examined so that you save big in the long run.
Taking action before there’s a known issue is a great way of preserving value in your property. This includes more than just pest control such as regular boiler, roof and roughcasting maintenance, where spending a little on a regular basis can prevent huge outlays later.
Home value is more than selling price
When it comes to the family home, value is measured in more ways than just how much will it sell for on the open market. As residents of the family home, we measure the value based on our ability to enjoy the property. This means anything which infringes on our enjoyment, from leaky roofs to hot water tank issues that result in flooding, from swarming bees preventing access to a garage or rats gnawing through the wiring and turning the lights off, there are many ways in which your personal valuation of the home can be impacted.
Hoping your home will appreciate in value isn’t enough. Investing a small, regular, amount in the care and maintenance, including pest inspections and control, is a smart move that will yield dividends both in selling price and in the enjoyment of your home.
