Home Inspector Finds Mice

Home inspectors find mice droppings frequently. The idea of having mice, or squirrels or raccoons, or any rodent or pests, in your home might bother a lot of home owners. But the reality is it's extremely common to have had a mouse make its way into your home at some point or another and a home inspector will find mice signs - droppings or other evidence, when the inspector is crawling in the attic and basement crawlspace.

Mice can enter your home through an opening as small as a dime - commonly found near loose foundation, entry point of utility pipes, cable wires, electrical wires and other pipes. With almost one third of home owners having had evidence of mice in the house, it's always best to disclose the issue and have it treated so that a potential buyer doesn't worry that undisclosed evidence of mice is a sign of a shady seller. In "11 Lies You Can't Tell When Selling Your Home," Bob Villa gives the best advice, stating:

sellers are required to disclose the presence of any type of pest infestation, including bats, mice, and bedbugs. If you try to be sneaky and hide the problem, you could be facing a lawsuit when the new buyer finds swarms of cockroaches in the walls and discovers the house has had the pests for years. Best option? Call in a professional exterminator and then disclose that you had a pest problem, and it's been treated.

Sellers: Disclose Mice Because Inspectors Will Find Their "Signs"

There are many reasons to get a pre-listing home inspection. If you want top, top dollars for a home you are selling, nothing says you're honest and have nothing to hide than a thorough home inspection report available for potential sellers. In the case your home inspector finds mice, or signs of any pests, you'll either call a pest control company or treat for the mice yourself and then disclose that treatment is updated. The buyer typically is only concerned about infestations that are out of control, and by getting a pre-listing inspection, you can attest that it's been controlled. Read: Save Money With a Pre-Listing Home Inspection Before you Sell and Sell Faster and Sell for More With a Pre-Listing Home Inspection

Buyers: What Does Undisclosed Signs of Mice Mean?

When we do a thorough home inspection for a buyer  - if there have been mice in the house, we'll inevitably find their "signs" as little droppings in the basement crawl space and attic.  Finding mouse droppings is not cause for concern because most are just passing through. It's common the homeowner set some traps, filled some entry points, and there is no existing infestation. What is cause for concern is damage to wires or other evidence the mice have done harm as well as evidence the home owner set traps and did not disclose - it's hard not to wonder if they didn't take the disclosures seriously, what else could they have missed?

Past posts:

• What to do About Two Prong Outlets we advise on the least expensive option - saving the home buyers thousands!
• Home Inspection Reveals Hidden Access Panel we investigate an access panel the home buyer may not have found which could uncover potential expenses.
• Home Inspection: Improper Gutter Placement = Wet Basement, we explain how proper pitch and gutter placement could be much less expensive than waterproofing a basement
• One Reason to Get a Home Inspection: Find Causes of Mold, we show how an improperly ventilated fan reveals early signs of mold  - a quick an easy repair to avoid thousands in mold remediation expenses.