When selling your home, it’s not just what’s going on inside that can impact your property’s value. Unwanted guests outside of your home can also be a nuisance and, in some cases, can devalue your property. Recognising their presence and taking swift action to combat the problem is vital.
Rat infestations
The presence of rats is likely to deter even the most animal-friendly buyers since rats can carry a range of diseases that can be passed on to humans, as well as causing structural and cosmetic damage to buildings. They commonly build burrows under decking, sheds or compost heaps and such infestations are likely to require professional help to get rid of.
Removing food sources will help, securing bins they can easily raid, keeping compost covered and blocking potential entry points.
Typical treatment by a professional rat exterminator will include an initial survey followed by the setup of traps and bait and a further visit to assess whether the problem has been solved – which, in most cases, it will have been.
Mice making themselves at home
Although not quite as horrifying a sight as a rat on your property, mice can also impact the value of your property depending on the damage they cause. They can make light work of electrical cables and quickly find their way into buildings. Unlike rats, they can take longer to track, but their removal can be easier to self-manage.
Roof-chewing squirrels
Squirrels bounding from branch-to-branch can be an enchanting sight to watch. But the sound of them munching in your loft is an activity you’d rather not witness. Their nibbling can cause substantial damage to roofs, soffits, insulation and timber if they do gain access via the roof. They are also creatures of habit which means that if you fail to properly seal access points and repair damage quickly, they will be back.
Japanese knotweed
Pests don’t have to have a pulse to be a drag on your property’s value and Japanese knotweed is one of the worst. The most common of four invasive knotweed plant species in the UK, Japanese knotweed grows and spreads easily. You aren’t legally required to remove it from your property, unless it’s causing a nuisance. However, you can be prosecuted for causing it to spread into the wild.
Note that Japanese knotweed should only be treated by those with specialist skills and experience and can take three years to get rid of. Its roots can also remain dormant in soil and will regrow if disturbed or the soil is relocated.
Inconsiderate neighbours
Inconsiderate neighbours and neighbourly fallouts could also have an impact on your property’s value since it’s a legal obligation that ongoing disputes have to be declared. So if you have had rows with your neighbour over his failure to look after a shared border or loud music playing in the garden late at night, then now might be the time to bury the hatchet.