Would you buy a house with a mouse?

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Jan 31 2024, 9:59 pm

After looking at many houses, we finally found a house that we really like. Yet during the showing, we saw a baby mouse strolling through the house!

I did some research, and seeing one mouse, usually indicates there are others...
The house is in a suburban area, surrounded by trees & nature, so it is possible the mouse just came from outside and joined us for the showing. Or it could mean an active infestation, with possible damage to wires, insulation etc

A regular home inspection may be somewhat helpful, but it doesn't focus or specializes in infestations (other than termites). What would you do? Would you offer on the house? And whose responsibility is it to take care of the problem, the seller or buyer? Seller still lives in the house, and I don't see how an exterminator can do a proper job when people still live in the house with all their stuff. Any thoughts?

amother

Mimosa

Wed, Jan 31 2024, 10:03 pm

You must not have lived in Brooklyn apartments, where mice ran across my pots and lived inside my stove

A mouse is no big deal. My parents big beautiful house on an acre of land in suburban NJ has had mice. That's what exterminators are for.

amother

Nemesia

Wed, Jan 31 2024, 10:34 pm

We had an inspector come once and he found some mouse droppings, he said most houses have mice, you just don’t see them. But if you do see them it might be a sign that there’s a lot…

amother

Burntblack

Wed, Jan 31 2024, 11:40 pm

Anything can be done to a house if you really want to… you can totally take care of it! If you like it otherwise, then go for it!!

The apartment we rented before we bought had mice at one point. Our landlord exterminated and really got rid of them bh! We lived in it for another 8 years with no mice!

essie14

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 1:49 am

We bought new construction. Of course there were mice. We did a full extermination before we moved in.
Never saw a mouse after that.

ysydmom

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 3:09 am

Yes buy it and do a very thorough exterminating, when you move in put in lot's of traps and mice poison to prevent more from coming in. Also put out lot's of glue trays, plug up holes with steel wool and you should be good to go!

amother

Jean

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 3:31 am

Only buy if you will pay for mouseproofing. The exterminator comes and acts as a contractor, finding holes and closing them up. They'll guarantee for a year. During that year if you find mice call them again and they will identify which holes they missed and close up again (included in original price). The point is sealing and then they're gone after a few visits.

amother

Aquamarine

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 3:40 am

It's like asking would you buy a house that needs to be repainted?! Of course this is something so minor and normal. We had inspector find mice in traps during inspection and still bought. No big deal

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 7:13 am

amother Aquamarine wrote:

Is it really such a minor thing? To me, painting is cosmetic. Eradicating mice for good may be a much longer process, and mice can be a health hazard, plus create structural damage (chewing on insulation, electric wires etc).

I just read (including here) about cases where people struggled with it for years, and it makes me a bit nervous.

How much does it cost to mouse-proof a house professionally?

amother

Daffodil ↓

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 7:25 am

It’s a field mouse, very different from a city mouse. The city mice are very hard to get rid of as long as things are dirty, like in an apartment building for example. But in the suburbs you just get an exterminator and they’re gone. Seal up holes. If you are moving from the city, know that you will have animals around your property, raccoons in your garbage, maybe coyotes in your backyard (Monsey!) you get used to it.

amother

↑ OP

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 7:51 am

amother Daffodil wrote:

It is in the Monsey area. Not to derail my own thread, but are coyotes very common? How do you use your yard without fear?

amother

↑ Daffodil

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 8:44 am

amother OP wrote:

It is in the Monsey area. Not to derail my own thread, but are coyotes very common? How do you use your yard without fear?

Depends on the area. Either way, they’re only out at Night, unless it has rabies. Call animal control in that case.

InnerPrincess

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 9:35 am

Will you buy it with a mouse?
Will you have it in your house?
will it let it jump and run?
Will it scare out everyone?

Will you eat it cooked with salt?
If it's bad, its not your fault
because its just a mouse, you see
Not some chicken, cheese, or meat.

Will you, will you, let it in?
With darting eyes, with pale gray skin?
Yes or no, will you buy a house?
If inside it is a mouse?

Due a shortage of robots, this was generated by a human Smile

Yes, I'm very proud.

amother

Yellow

Thu, Feb 01 2024, 11:34 am

amother Royalblue wrote:

Not in a house,
Not with a mouse,
Not in a box,
Not with fox.

Hey, now you crossed the line, Fox is the best - leave her out of this! LOL