My Real Estate Agent Just Told Me I Need a WDO Inspection in Spring Hill. What Do I Do First?

You are under contract on a home in Spring Hill and your real estate agent just told you that you need to schedule a WDO inspection before closing. You are not sure what that is, who does it, how long it takes or what order things are supposed to happen in. You have enough moving parts in this transaction already and now there is one more thing on the list.

Here is exactly what to do and in what order.

First: Understand What You Are Scheduling

A WDO inspection is not the same as your general home inspection and it is not done by the same person. It is a licensed inspection performed by a licensed pest control professional looking specifically for evidence of wood destroying organisms. Termites, wood boring beetles and wood decaying fungi. It results in an official Florida state inspection report that your lender needs before they will approve your loan.

Your general home inspector cannot do this. Your real estate agent cannot order it on your behalf. You need to call a licensed pest control company that performs WDO inspections and schedule it directly.

Second: Find Out Your Closing Date and Work Backward

Before you call anyone find out your exact closing date and your inspection contingency deadline. Your inspection contingency is the period during which you can order inspections and negotiate based on what they find. The WDO inspection needs to happen within that window so you have time to deal with anything the report finds before your contingency expires.

If your closing is three weeks out and your inspection contingency expires in ten days schedule the WDO inspection immediately. Do not wait until the end of the contingency period. If the inspection finds termite activity you need time to get a treatment estimate, negotiate with the seller and potentially schedule treatment before your contingency deadline. Doing the inspection on day nine of a ten day contingency leaves you no room to maneuver.

Third: Call a Licensed Pest Control Company

Call a licensed pest control company in Spring Hill that performs WDO inspections and schedule the inspection as soon as possible. When you call tell them your closing date so they understand the timeline and can prioritize accordingly. Most companies that do WDO inspections regularly are used to working around real estate closing deadlines and can get you scheduled quickly.

Make sure the company is licensed to perform WDO inspections in Florida and uses the official Florida Department of Agriculture WDO inspection form. Your lender will not accept a report on any other form. If you are not sure ask the company directly whether their inspection satisfies Florida lender requirements for real estate transactions.

Fourth: Arrange Access to the Property

The inspector needs access to the full property including the interior of the home, the garage, accessible attic space and the exterior perimeter. If the home is occupied coordinate with the listing agent to make sure the seller knows the inspection is happening and that the home will be accessible. If the home is vacant with a lockbox your real estate agent can provide access.

Make sure the attic hatch is accessible and not blocked by stored items. If the home has a crawlspace that also needs to be accessible. Areas that cannot be inspected get noted on the report as inaccessible which can create questions with your lender about those areas.

Fifth: Get the Report to Your Lender and Agent Immediately

As soon as you receive the completed WDO report send it to your lender and your real estate agent the same day. If the report comes back clean your lender can check that box and you move forward. If it finds something your agent needs to know immediately so the negotiation with the seller can start without losing time.

Don’t sit on the report for a few days. Every day between receiving the report and starting the negotiation is a day off your contingency period that you’re not getting back.

Call us today and we’ll get your inspection scheduled to fit your closing timeline. Our WDO inspectors in Hernando County are licensed, complete the official Florida state form and deliver fast so your Spring Hill transaction keeps moving.