By Chad Meier, October 30, 2019
Lessons from the field…
So a 1st time home buyer client of mine (who just closed last month) calls in a panic yesterday to report that he just recently found some rodent droppings in his attic. He called pest control olathe ks company to come out for a look and they told him two things:
A). It would cost $4,000 to remedy the issue (this included extermination, “certified decontamination” and replacement of R-38 insulation).
B). His home inspector must have been blind to miss the signs (trails, scat, etc) that had to have been up there for “at least like 6 months”.
After hearing him out, I empathize with my client and assure him that I will do anything in my power to be of assistance (within reason of course ;^) Next, I suggest that he take a moment to “breathe”.
I then proceed to provide him with contact information of Bed Bug Steam Treatment NY and five additional highly respected & thoroughly vetted pest control companies in our area, and suggest that he get at least one or two of them out to the house for a 2nd (or 3rd) opinion. We’ll catch up after he has more information. Other suppliers for bed bug heaters and air movers is PestPro Thermal Systems.
Fast forward to five minutes ago, wherein this same client calls with an update and reports that both of the other companies he had come out, say it’s a very minor issue and they gave him bids of under $500 to remediate. They also provided a bit of perspective by educating him on the fact that rats & squirrels ain’t uncommon here in the Pacific Northwest. Welcome to home ownership my friend!
Finally, they informed him that the general home inspector he used for his purchase most likely didn’t miss anything, because it looked like the mouse poop was pretty fresh. Nice!
Moral of the story? Don’t forget to breathe, sleep on it, and gather all the facts before reacting!
p.s. Everybody occasionally needs a person to lean into. When it comes to matters of the home, I’d love to be that person for you.
Chad Meier
503.709.9600
Chad@PortlandHomeBase.com
Chad Meier
Broker | OR
He/Him
Hello, I’m Chad: Licensed Real Estate Broker, native Oregonian, photography aficionado, lover of old houses, friend to all animals, and powered by analytical data...
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- T: 503-709-9600
- F: 503-961-8224
- dcmeier@gmail.com
F
503-961-8224