Your parents have made the decision to move to a retirement community and need to put their current residence on the market for sale. They’ve called upon you to assist them in getting the house ready for sale. Although you’re at your parents’ home with some regularity, you discovered during your own closer examination of the property that there is an issue with mice in the house. Your parents had set out traps from time to time when they saw a mouse scurry about, but they weren’t tuned into the extent of the problem. In contemplating what needs to be done to prepare your parents’ home for the marketplace, you realize getting rid of the mice is a top priority. However, you may have questions about what else you need to do to prepare the residence for sale in the aftermath of a mouse infestation at the property.
Hire a Professional Exterminator
As oftentimes is the case – and is referenced in the scenario at the start of this presentation – homeowners oftentimes will set out traps to snare a mouse when they see one. In many instances, a homeowner really doesn’t understand the full extent of a mouse problem in a home.
Odds are that your parents desire to get their residence on the market as quickly as possible. While they certainly can embark on a do-it-yourself mouse extermination or eradication endeavor, that is very likely to take what might amount to a considerable amount of time. In addition, a homeowner undertaken eradication effort may fail to eliminate all of the mice infesting the premises.
As noted at the outset, fully eradicating the mice from the property is a must in advance of putting the property on the market for sale. Consequently, your parents are best served by engaging the services of a reputable, experienced pest extermination service. A professional company is equipped with the resources necessary to effectively eliminate mice from a residence.
Hire a Professional Rodent Dropping Cleanup Company
Getting rid of the mice themselves is only part of the battle when it comes to getting your parents’ mouse infested residence ready for sale. You also need to thoroughly and safely deal with the aftermath of the infestation: mice droppings, dried urine, and other waste.
Mouse droppings and other waste can be classified as a biohazard. In other words, mouse droppings and other waste can contain dangerous bacteria and viruses that are capable of causing serious disease. There is even at least one type of virus that has the potential for infecting a person by being inhaled. This happens when dried mouse droppings crumble, causing dust containing germs to become airborne.
In order to keep your parents safe while living in the house, and in order to ensure that house hunters and an ultimate buyer aren’t exposed to disease, you are well-advised to hire an experienced, reputable rodent dropping cleanup company to deal with eliminating this waste from the premises. An experienced biohazard remediation company takes a comprehensive approach to eliminate mouse droppings and other waste in a safe manner. The process includes:
- Removing droppings and other waste and thoroughly cleaning contaminated areas
- Sanitizing contaminated areas
- Deodorizing the premises as needed
Repair Damage Caused by Mouse Infestation
In advance of putting your parents’ home on the market for sale, you need to make sure all damage caused by a mouse infestation is repaired or remedied. This includes:
- Patching holes created by mice
- Repairing gnaw marks created by mice
- Eliminating scratch marks
- Repairing damage to electrical wires or systems
As an additional note, mice are prone to gnaw on electrical wires. This exposes live wires, which can result in sparking and fires. Indeed, about 25 percent of all residential fires are caused by rodents. You must make sure that no damaged wires exist or remain unaddressed in your parents’ home.
Disclosure of Mouse Infestation to Prospective Buyer
Every state has its own requirements for what must be disclosed by a home seller to a potential buyer. For example, California law may not automatically require the disclosure of a mouse issue at a residence. Nonetheless, a home seller will want to seriously consider voluntarily providing this information to a prospective seller. If a prospective seller specifically asks about issues surrounding mice, rats, or other pests, a home seller must answer the question honestly.
If a home seller elects not to disclose a prior issue with mice, a home buyer is highly likely to discover the problem. A prospective purchaser is likely to arrange for an independent inspection of the premises. A prior mouse infestation is likely to be discovered in the process due to certain telltale signs that include gnawing marks.
If a prospective buyer learns of a prior infestation via an inspection rather than directly from a home seller, the sale may end up in jeopardy. A prospective buyer is going to wonder if you didn’t disclose the mouse issue what other information you failed to share.
By following the steps and tactics outlined in this article, you’ll ensure your parents’ home is in the best position to go on the market. You protect the value of your parents’ residence by following these important suggestions.