Multiple parties are involved in the residential real estate sales process. These include:
- Seller
- Buyer
- Agent
- Broker
- Title company
- Mortgage lender
- Property inspector
- Appraiser
- Home stager
Whilst each of these participants plays a different, rather unique but interrelated role in the process, there is a number of important issues that all of these parties need to be focused on and understand. On this list is rodent droppings cleanup, if that is or was an issue at the property. There are several important issues you do need to bear in mind as a party to a residential real estate transaction when it comes to rodent droppings.
- Rodent droppings and existing infestation
- Rodent droppings and a past infestation
- Rodent droppings and disease
- Steps to rodent dropping cleanup
Rodent Droppings and Existing Infestation
If an individual involved in some aspect of the real estate sales process discovers rodent droppings at a residence heading to or on the market, the assumption must be made that there is an existing infestation. An existing infestation must be immediately dealt with before anything else occurs – including putting the home of the market (if not already up for sale) and rodent dropping cleanup.
If the house is on the market, it needs to be temporarily taken off. This can be done without fanfare and in a way that doesn’t send a negative message to prospective buyers. A real estate agent typically is adept at assisting in developing such a strategy.
Because the residence is either on a course for the market of actually up for sale, time is of the essence and a homeowner cannot dally and attempt self-help schemes to eliminate an infestation. There are two reasons why this the case:
- Do-it-yourself rodent eradication is timely
- Do-it-yourself rodent elimination oftentimes is incomplete
As a consequence, an experienced rodent eradication specialist (exterminator) needs to be engaged. As an aside, if a homeowner desires a no-kill resolution to a rodent infestation there are professional eradication services that can assist in this regard.
Rodent Droppings and a Past Infestation
The discovery of rodent droppings can also be indicative if a past infestation that no longer exists. There is a possibility that a prior rodent issue was minimal and even the residents of the home were unaware of it. On the other hand, a common scenario is that a prior infestation was eradicated but rodent droppings cleanup was not properly, thoroughly undertaken.
Even if rodent droppings are thought to be the result of a prior infestation, a professional rodent elimination specialist should be brought to the home to confirm that there is no existing issue with mice, rats, or some other varmint.
Hiring a professional rodent dropping cleanup company should be the order of the day in this type of situation. The fact that the residence is either about to go on the market or is on the market underscores the need for effective, comprehensive, and thorough rodent dropping cleaning. (In fact, this type of rodent dropping cleanup is always the objective.)
There re a myriad of reasons supporting the need for professional rodent feces cleanup. In the case of a residence heading to or on the market, there is a very pragmatic one. These feces must be completely eliminated. If a prospective buyer comes upon even a couple feces whilst touring a home, that individual is quite likely to lose interest in the property. This can prove to be the case even when a prospective buyer otherwise had a keen interest in a residence.
Rodent Droppings and Disease
Parties to a home sale must understand that rodent droppings have the very real potential to harbor dangerous diseases that can infect humans. If a rodent feces issue exists in a home, residents are not the only people at risk. So are professionals involved in the sales process in one way or another as are prospective homebuyers who enter the property.
Those involved in the real estate sales process must understand that dangerous pathogens can also infect humans through dried rodent feces. This includes in an airborne manner. Rodent droppings crumble easily. When this happens, airborne dust can be created, particles that can carry disease-causing pathogens.
Steps to Rodent Dropping Cleanup
Safety must be a prime consideration when it comes to rodent dropping cleanup. Thus, the rodent dropping cleaning process commences with saturating the feces themselves with a sanitization agent. There are commercially available products and a professional rodent dropping cleanup company has access to medical grade products that are highly effective at killing dangerous pathogens.
An effective solution can be made at home. This solution s crafted with 1-part chlorine bleach combined with 3-parts water. Once blended, the solution can be placed in a spray bottle or similar apparatus.
Once the droppings are saturated, they should be permitted to soak for 20 minutes. At that juncture the droppings can be physically removed using a paper towel or cloth rag. This waste is then to be placed in a durable plastic bag. Indeed, double bagging the waste is a good idea.
Confirmation needs to be made in regard to the proper manner of disposal of this type of waste in a particular community. Properly saturated rodent droppings likely can be placed in a community’s regular trash disposal system. A professional rodent dropping cleanup company already has access to pre-approved biohazardous waste disposal providers.
Once the physical droppings are removed, the once contaminated areas should be sanitized once more. This is accomplished by spraying surfaces and objects that once harbored rat droppings with the sanitization agent used previously. In this round, the solution can be left to dry.