While most homeowners focus on what they can do to increase a property’s value, they often ignore things that can bring down the value of a house. One thing that can seriously devalue a house and even prevent buyers from going through with a sale is pests.
According to Saddat Abid, CEO of Property Saviour, rat infestations can “wipe 20% off a house value” — equivalent to £53,663 on the average UK home value, according to the Land Registry, currently worth £268,319. Having recently dealt with a rat-infested property himself, Abid is urging homeowners to take the threat seriously before it wreaks financial havoc. When there’s a rat infestation in a household, owners will also receive an average bill between £160 and £320 for rat removal, but severe infestations can drive costs much higher.
However, the real damage comes from the “stigma and fear” that infestations create among prospective buyers.
Even after the rats have been eradicated, homeowners are legally obliged to declare any history of infestations when selling – a red flag that can “prompt buyers to demand steep discounts or abandon the purchase altogether”.
Property experts at Better Move agreed, saying that rats can “disrupt your house sale quite significantly” and even “cancel the sale and send buyers running altogether”.
What’s more, insurers frequently refuse to cover damage caused by rodents, leaving owners to foot the bill for repairs to electrics, plumbing, insulation, and even structural timber costs that can easily spiral into the tens of thousands.
Some lenders may even refuse mortgages on properties with a known history of infestation, further compounding the problem.
Sharing his own experience, Saddat said: “Rats aren’t just revolting-they’re absolute home-wreckers. I recently bought a property where rats had chewed through electrical wiring.
“The previous owner had already spent thousands on electricians before realising what was causing the problem.”
If you want to sell a home with a current or historic rat problem, full disclosure is not only ethical but a “legal requirement”. Failure to declare can result in sales falling through or even legal action post-sale.
Saddat advised: “Sometimes the smartest move is cutting your losses and selling to someone who can take on these projects, rather than throwing good money after bad.”
