It can be incredibly easy for homeowners to dismiss an insignificant noise above the ceiling or smell coming from the attic. Unfortunately, that is likely what most homeowners do. When animals invade homes, they rarely stay small—once a raccoon, squirrel, or skunk gets inside your house, it won’t be long before the amount of damage increases, along with the expense.
The first mistake people make is thinking that once the animal leaves their home, they are done with the expense. Removing an animal from your home is just the first step of the process.
Odors That Don’t Go Away on Their Own
Even after they’re gone from your home, animal odors remain for a long time. Animal urine, skunk odor, and rotting dead animals can be absorbed into structural materials like wood, drywall and insulation. In addition, the odor can be carried through your HVAC systems, causing the entire home to become unusable or uncomfortable.
Odor remediation isn’t treating the area with sprays or air fresheners; it involves the treatment or replacement of materials that have been contaminated with the odor of a dead animal.
Cost To Repair Structural Damage/Restore Attic
Wildlife doesn’t enter homes in a nice way. They tear up your vents, chew your fascia boards, lift up your rooflines, and widen openings to get into your home. Once they are inside your home, they may create multiple entrances, which increase their risk of returning.
Repair of damage from a wildlife invasion isn’t simply filling in a hole and replacing the material; it involves strengthening your home by repairing any weak points and sealing off all possible entry points to prevent the animal from re-entering your home in the future.
Resale Value in the Long Term
Although you may repair your property after damage, the history of the infested materials can be a negative factor when selling the property. All the repairs, lingering odors and required disclosures may lead to lower offers for your property, a longer time to sell your property, and possibly more extensive testing and additional requests for concessions from the seller.
Preventing repeat infestations not only protects the current value of the property, but also provides protection for future resale value.
How a Professional Assessment Can Save Money
The best option to save money on repair and replacement of damaged areas caused by wildlife in your home is to conduct an assessment as soon as you see signs of animal intrusion. A professional assessment of wildlife damage will allow you to determine how animals entered your home, where the damage was caused and what is needed to keep them from re-entering the home.
Working with a Greater Nashville residential wildlife removal service enables homeowners to have an inspection, humane trapping, and exclusion safely.
Endnote
Animal invaders do not occur in isolation. The costs associated with an animal infestation come from various issues including energy efficiency, electrical safety, indoor air quality and resale value. The sooner you address the problem and rectify it, the less you’ll incur in repair costs in the future!
