Homeowners stung with a six-figure bill as pests make a costly meal out of their property!
- Replies 39
Buying a home is often the culmination of years of saving and dreaming, especially for those who have reached a stage in life where they are looking to settle into their forever homes.
However, in a sobering revelation for homeowners, a costly oversight has emerged, leaving some individuals grappling with unexpected financial burdens.
This alarming development serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilant maintenance and proactive measures to safeguard properties against potential threats.
Ben and his wife thought they had found their dream home in June 2023—a multi-million dollar property on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland that seemed perfect for their needs.
However, their joy quickly turned to dismay when, just days after moving in, they discovered that a part of it ‘was at risk of collapsing’ due to extensive termite damage that had been overlooked in a pre-purchase building pest report.
This oversight has led to a financial nightmare, with repairs costing the couple nearly $100,000—and counting.
The couple had done what many of us would consider ‘the right thing’: they hired a well-known company to conduct a thorough pest inspection.
‘We took time off work to attend the inspection with them. We walked around, and they raised no issues at all around termites,’ Ben said.
‘They sent us the report afterwards which said nothing about termites—that everything was ok. We relied on that to go and finish the purchase of the house.’
The discovery of the termite damage came as a shock to the couple.
‘We went through every panel in the garage, and found that it was so extensive that it was in every single panel,’ Ben recalled.
‘They had to stop working and leave the site as a safety precaution. That's how serious it was. It was everywhere.’
Termites are a well-known hazard in Australia, causing over $1.5 billion in damage to homes annually, according to a study by the University of Technology Sydney.
While the couple was fortunate that the damage was isolated to the garage, which was detached from the main house, the financial and emotional toll has been significant.
‘Most of that cost was in demolishing and rebuilding parts of the garage. We had to replace everything except the roof and some of the roof truss,’ Ben explained.
‘We had to replace the walls, the plaster, all the framing, everything had to be replaced and we even had to drill into the garage floor to put beams up to stop the roof falling down.’
Initially, the pest inspection company seemed cooperative, reinspecting the property and saying they’d ‘put it through as an insurance claim’.
However, the situation quickly deteriorated, with the company having ‘never admitted liability’, and communication breaking down.
‘They've pretty much refused to talk with us and left us in the hands of their insurers, who have done everything they can to avoid the claim,’ Ben claimed.
‘We're now having to go to court to recover our cost, which is obviously super stressful for the family.’
The company, in their defence, stated that a ‘large amount of stored goods in the garage’ caused ‘limitations’ on their inspection capabilities, making them unable to do an ‘internal cavity inspection’—a point they claimed to have been communicated to the couple.
Ben, however, disputed this, saying no such limitations or risks were mentioned during the inspection.
‘No termite activity was detected in the areas we were able to inspect,’ the company stated.
‘However, we noted to [Ben] the risk of termite activity was high, and made several recommendations in person on the day of inspection,’—a point also claimed by Ben to be untrue.
‘Our inspectors undertake their work with great consideration and skill, and while it’s unfortunate that termite activity has occurred on the property, we are confident we have acted in line with our contractual obligations and limitations,’ the company added.
Ben expressed that the circumstances have inflicted considerable stress on his family, and expressed his desire that no other family undergoes a similar ordeal.
‘I think the hardest part for us is that we trusted the pest inspection company to warn us if there was going to be anything seriously wrong, and they missed something that was so serious,’ Ben said.
‘The stress it's caused us to get it corrected, and the worry that we've then had about it extending to the rest of the house has been really significant. But, I think above that, is that once we realised that they'd missed something, we expected that they'd do the right thing and fix the damage.’
After already paying nearly $100,000, the couple described it as a 'hard decision' to pursue legal action against the company due to the expenses involved.
However, Ben said, ‘In the end, I think we decided on it based on doing what we think is fair, and we just think it's fundamentally unfair that you can make a mistake and not fix it.’
‘We so genuinely feel that we've done nothing wrong and have been taken advantage of.’
‘The main thing is that just be so careful with who you engage to do these reports. It can be so expensive if you get it wrong,’ he added.
As this incident highlighted, it is important to detect these kinds of problems to address them immediately.
Be it a simple ‘mysterious trail’ in the cupboard, or an unusual pile of dirt in the bathroom, these signs often lead to bigger problems in homes, so proactive measures are really essential.
What are your thoughts on the couple’s situation? Do you think the pest control company should be liable? Let’s hear your insights and discuss them in the comments below.
However, in a sobering revelation for homeowners, a costly oversight has emerged, leaving some individuals grappling with unexpected financial burdens.
This alarming development serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilant maintenance and proactive measures to safeguard properties against potential threats.
Ben and his wife thought they had found their dream home in June 2023—a multi-million dollar property on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland that seemed perfect for their needs.
However, their joy quickly turned to dismay when, just days after moving in, they discovered that a part of it ‘was at risk of collapsing’ due to extensive termite damage that had been overlooked in a pre-purchase building pest report.
This oversight has led to a financial nightmare, with repairs costing the couple nearly $100,000—and counting.
A couple was burdened with nearly $100,000 in repair costs due to extensive termite damage in their newly bought home. Credits: Shutterstock
The couple had done what many of us would consider ‘the right thing’: they hired a well-known company to conduct a thorough pest inspection.
‘We took time off work to attend the inspection with them. We walked around, and they raised no issues at all around termites,’ Ben said.
‘They sent us the report afterwards which said nothing about termites—that everything was ok. We relied on that to go and finish the purchase of the house.’
The discovery of the termite damage came as a shock to the couple.
‘We went through every panel in the garage, and found that it was so extensive that it was in every single panel,’ Ben recalled.
‘They had to stop working and leave the site as a safety precaution. That's how serious it was. It was everywhere.’
Termites are a well-known hazard in Australia, causing over $1.5 billion in damage to homes annually, according to a study by the University of Technology Sydney.
While the couple was fortunate that the damage was isolated to the garage, which was detached from the main house, the financial and emotional toll has been significant.
‘Most of that cost was in demolishing and rebuilding parts of the garage. We had to replace everything except the roof and some of the roof truss,’ Ben explained.
‘We had to replace the walls, the plaster, all the framing, everything had to be replaced and we even had to drill into the garage floor to put beams up to stop the roof falling down.’
Initially, the pest inspection company seemed cooperative, reinspecting the property and saying they’d ‘put it through as an insurance claim’.
However, the situation quickly deteriorated, with the company having ‘never admitted liability’, and communication breaking down.
‘They've pretty much refused to talk with us and left us in the hands of their insurers, who have done everything they can to avoid the claim,’ Ben claimed.
‘We're now having to go to court to recover our cost, which is obviously super stressful for the family.’
The company, in their defence, stated that a ‘large amount of stored goods in the garage’ caused ‘limitations’ on their inspection capabilities, making them unable to do an ‘internal cavity inspection’—a point they claimed to have been communicated to the couple.
Ben, however, disputed this, saying no such limitations or risks were mentioned during the inspection.
‘No termite activity was detected in the areas we were able to inspect,’ the company stated.
‘However, we noted to [Ben] the risk of termite activity was high, and made several recommendations in person on the day of inspection,’—a point also claimed by Ben to be untrue.
‘Our inspectors undertake their work with great consideration and skill, and while it’s unfortunate that termite activity has occurred on the property, we are confident we have acted in line with our contractual obligations and limitations,’ the company added.
Ben expressed that the circumstances have inflicted considerable stress on his family, and expressed his desire that no other family undergoes a similar ordeal.
‘I think the hardest part for us is that we trusted the pest inspection company to warn us if there was going to be anything seriously wrong, and they missed something that was so serious,’ Ben said.
‘The stress it's caused us to get it corrected, and the worry that we've then had about it extending to the rest of the house has been really significant. But, I think above that, is that once we realised that they'd missed something, we expected that they'd do the right thing and fix the damage.’
After already paying nearly $100,000, the couple described it as a 'hard decision' to pursue legal action against the company due to the expenses involved.
However, Ben said, ‘In the end, I think we decided on it based on doing what we think is fair, and we just think it's fundamentally unfair that you can make a mistake and not fix it.’
‘We so genuinely feel that we've done nothing wrong and have been taken advantage of.’
‘The main thing is that just be so careful with who you engage to do these reports. It can be so expensive if you get it wrong,’ he added.
As this incident highlighted, it is important to detect these kinds of problems to address them immediately.
Be it a simple ‘mysterious trail’ in the cupboard, or an unusual pile of dirt in the bathroom, these signs often lead to bigger problems in homes, so proactive measures are really essential.
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