Beetle certificates in George

The offer is signed, the conveyancer has sent a list, and "entomologist's certificate" is on it. Here's how a beetle certificate works in George, and how to stop it holding up your transfer.

Selling a house in George means a beetle certificate, and the simplest way to stop it holding up transfer is to book the inspection the day the offer is signed. The certificate is our written statement that the timber we could get to in the house, roof and outbuildings showed no active infestation by the wood-boring beetles it lists. It's a standard condition of sale in the Western Cape, it's normally paid for by the seller, and the conveyancer needs it before transfer can go through. If the house is clean, the paperwork follows quickly. If we find live beetles, booking early leaves room to treat and re-inspect without anyone having to move a date.

From sectional-title flats to big family homes and smallholdings, we inspect for sellers, estate agents and conveyancers all over George.

What we inspect in a George house

Everything timber that we can reach safely:

• The roof space: trusses, rafters, purlins, battens and ceiling joists
• Timber floors and the accessible timber under suspended floors
• Door and window frames, skirtings, built-in cupboards and staircases
• Exposed beams, timber ceilings and decks attached to the house
• Outbuildings on the title, such as garages and storerooms

In all of that timber we're after signs of life, not age: small round or oval exit holes with sharp edges, little heaps of fine powder below them, tunnels in damaged wood, and the beetles or larvae themselves. In George roofs the main concern is the European house borer, which attacks softwood such as pine trusses. In floors, skirtings and cupboards it's more often the common furniture beetle or powderpost beetles. The wood borer beetles profile has pictures of each.

George houses and what we tend to find

George has a wide range of housing, and the inspection is different for each kind.

• Older homes in the established suburbs under the mountain often have timber floors, pine ceilings and original roof timbers. Plenty of them have holes from beetles that died out decades ago, and those don't fail a certificate. We're looking for fresh activity, and we'll tell you which is which
• Newer homes on estates and in the growing suburbs mostly have treated roof timber and tiled floors, so the inspection is quicker, though built-in cupboards and decks still get checked
• Sectional-title flats without their own roof space are a short inspection, and the certificate records which parts couldn't be reached
• Smallholdings on the edges of town add outbuildings, stables and sheds to the list

When we do find beetles

Finding active borer doesn't end the sale. You'll get a written note of where the activity is and what has to happen to clear it. Mostly that's a wood borer treatment on the affected timbers. Now and then a batten or joist is too far gone to be trusted and a builder has to replace it first. When the treatment's done we return, look again, and only then sign the clearance. Let your agent and conveyancer know the day the report lands, so any change to the timeline happens early.

Timing your inspection

Don't book it the week the house goes on the market, because conveyancers want a recent certificate. Don't wait for the week before lodgement either. The right moment is as soon as the offer is accepted. For the full sequence from offer to transfer, see our guide on beetle certificates when selling a house.

What the seller needs to arrange

• Access to every part of the house, including the roof hatch and any locked outbuildings
• A ladder or clear access to the trapdoor if it's high
• Someone to let us in if the house is empty or tenanted. Agents often handle this
• The full address, erf number if you have it, and the name of the conveyancer

Termites need their own check

The certificate is about beetles. Termites aren't covered, even though they eat timber too. If we spot signs of subterranean termites while we're in the roof or under the floors, such as earth tubes up a wall or skirtings that sound hollow, we'll mention it, and our page on termite control in George explains what happens next. A buyer who wants assurance on both can ask for both.

What usually holds things up

Hold-ups usually have nothing to do with beetles. The roof hatch is painted shut, or there's no ladder long enough to reach it. A tenant hasn't been told we're coming. The outbuilding key is with someone in Cape Town. The inspection was booked the week before lodgement, and activity in one roof beam means treatment and re-inspection have to squeeze in. Each of these is easy to avoid: book early, make sure the hatch opens, tell the occupants, and have every key ready on the day. If there's no safe way into part of the roof, the certificate records that it wasn't inspected, so nobody is confused later about what was covered.

Buying in George?

If you're buying, ask to see the actual certificate rather than settling for a message saying it's done. It names what was and wasn't inspected and whether anything was treated. On an older house full of timber, that page is worth five minutes of your time before transfer.

What it costs

The inspection fee depends on the size and type of property. A flat without a roof space doesn't take long. A big house with timber floors, a large roof and outbuildings takes considerably more time. Any treatment is quoted on its own, once we know how much timber is affected.

Estate agents and conveyancers are welcome to book for the seller. More detail is on our beetle certificates page, and pest control in George lists the rest of our work in town. To book, phone 044 012 5011 or fill in the inspection request.