Termite Letter for a Home Sale in Atlanta

Do I need a termite letter to sell or buy a house in Georgia?

Not always, but a wood-destroying-insect letter is commonly requested at sale or by a lender, and some buyers also ask about a termite bond. Whether you need one depends on your purchase contract, your loan and your agreement with the other side. Check the contract and ask your agent.

Timelines in a sale are short. If a letter is part of the deal, schedule it early so there is time to react if the result is not clean.

What does a termite letter inspection cover?

It covers the accessible parts of the structure for evidence of wood-destroying insects, including live insects, tubes, damaged wood, swarmer wings and past treatment signs. It is a visual inspection: areas behind walls, under finished floors or blocked by stored items may not be reachable, and the letter should say so.

• Crawl space, including piers, sills and floor joists
• Exterior foundation, porches, steps and siding line
• Garage, attic access and utility areas
• Kitchens, baths and window frames where moisture collects
• Wood-to-soil contact, mulch, leaks and drainage

What if the letter shows termites?

A letter that shows activity does not end the sale. It tells you what was found and where, so buyer and seller can decide who will treat, who will repair, or whether to renegotiate. A technician can explain the treatment and price, but the deal terms are between the people in the sale.

Termite treatment stops the insects but does not rebuild damaged wood. A contractor or home inspector may be needed to assess structural damage. For treatment options see termite control. For a general homeowner check outside a sale, see termite inspection.

Our guide to the termite letter when selling or buying an Atlanta home goes into the sale process in more detail.

Why is a crawl-space inspection so important in Atlanta resales?

Because much of Atlanta's in-town resale stock sits on piers over a crawl space, and that is where termites usually first reach the wood. A letter written without going under the house, where it can be entered, says very little about the framing that holds the house up.

If the seller has closed off or cluttered the crawl-space entry, expect the letter to note a limitation. Clearing access before the visit avoids that. If the space is flooded or unsafe, the technician should say so in writing.

How should a seller prepare for a termite letter inspection?

Clear the crawl-space entry, unlock gates and outbuildings, empty the area in front of garage walls and utility closets, and gather any past termite treatment records. Fix obvious leaks before the visit. A prepared house gets a more complete letter and fewer notes about areas the inspector could not reach.

If you know of past termite activity, say so. A treatment that was done and documented is easier to explain than an old repair that surprises the buyer. Receipts, warranty papers and notes from a previous owner help the technician read what is in the house and write a letter that is accurate.

Staging can get in the way. Boxes stacked in a garage, furniture pushed against an exterior wall or a freshly mulched flowerbed that reaches the siding may all be noted as limits on what the inspection could see.

What should a buyer do with the letter?

Read what was found and what was not reachable, then ask your agent and lender what the contract and loan require. If the letter shows activity or damage, ask for treatment records and consider having a contractor look at the affected wood. A clean letter is useful, but it records one day only.

Buyers of older Atlanta houses may also want to ask about a continuing inspection plan after closing, since a letter does not watch the house over time. Ask what a plan covers in writing before agreeing to it.