Our client, Richard Eedy, Gold Coast building and pest inspector, provided us with the images below. One shows what is left of a bathroom after termites got to it. The other is a roof truss that is supposed to be supporting a roof.
What Other Inspectors Missed
This is amazing, that people are paid to inspect homes and don’t bother lifting carpets, looking into subfloors or roof cavities. And what is really stunning, is how often it occurs. Richard can provide evidence almost weekly. Below are just a few images he sent us.
Some of these images will require explaining. The first image shows “termite mudding’. Termites won’t travel above ground, so where they need to traverse, they’ll make mud tubes. They’ll also use mudding to form nice big living areas in your home. The first three images show termite mudding. While it might not look like much to the untrained eye, it should stand out like a sore thumb to anyone trained as an building and pest inspector.
The last image shows a termite trap. The bait has been completely eaten by termites. The fact that another inspector came through and didn’t check this trap, or didn’t think it was significant, is highly alarming. It tells us that this home has termites present and that there is nothing protecting the home. That should have raised massive alarm bells.
Why Building And Pest Inspections Matter So Much
The average cost of termite damage in Australia is $10,000. Richard regularly sees damages mounting to much higher costs than that. And insurance usually doesn’t cover it.
If you moved into a home you recently purchased, and you discovered tens of thousands of dollars of damages you need to address, you wouldn’t be too happy. That’s not the kind of expense anyone budgets for. And it happens. Often.
What Richard sees is that there is barley a single home on the Gold Coast that doesn’t have termites present. I’ve seen his images, heard his stories, and I’ve followed him on inspections. And I can tell you that it is alarmingly consistent that termites are present. With so many termites around, you need to avoid the expense these things can cost you. You really need to get a full building and pest inspection before buying any property. And based on what I’ve seen from other inspectors, you really need to contact Richard.
