She Thought It Was the Perfect Home – But What Lurks in the Woods Will Shock You!

During the pandemic, a woman thought she found her dream home in a quiet, wooded area. However, that dream quickly turned into a costly nightmare. Laureise (@laureise), a TikTok creator, shared her experience of purchasing a home surrounded by trees, and she’s now warning others not to make the same mistake.

In her TikTok video from August 30, Laureise explained how her seemingly idyllic forest home has been anything but peaceful. She and her partner moved in two years ago, but they’ve since been plagued by pests—rodents, insects, and beetles—that have devoured their finances.

Laureise didn’t mince words in her video. “If you’ve ever thought about buying a house in a wooded area, just don’t,” she said.

A Nightmare with Two Major Infestations

To illustrate why she’s so adamant about avoiding homes in the woods, Laureise shared two horror stories from her own experience as a homeowner. The first involved an unexpected guest: Norwegian rats.

“We were laying on the couch one night, and we hear something scratching underneath our floorboards,” she recalled. It turned out the rats were not only inside her home but were gnawing on something crucial—the HVAC piping. This was no ordinary piping. It was wrapped in asbestos. The rats began chewing through the asbestos, causing it to scatter throughout the house.

Fixing the problem required pest control intervention and repairing the HVAC system, which left them without heat or air conditioning for six months. “That whole process cost us about $10,000,” she said.

Just when they thought their rat problem was over, they were hit with another pest-related disaster. A nearby termite company offered to check their house for termites after finding an infestation in a neighbor’s home. While they were relieved to hear they didn’t have termites, the news they got wasn’t much better.

“You have wood-boring beetles,” the pest control technician told them. These beetles, as the couple soon learned, are as destructive as termites. “They bite through the wood and lay little larvae in the wood. And then the eggs hatch, and those little eggies…bite into the wood until the wood is all [expletive] up in your house.”

The beetles left the couple facing a tough choice: a $4,500 heat treatment or a $7,000 fumigation. They opted for the less costly heating option.

Reactions from Viewers

Laureise’s video has attracted over 122,000 views, with many people sharing their own pest-related stories in the comments. One viewer sympathized, saying, “Wood boring beetle sounds like a problem for the next people!! Lol. I will say $7k for remediation sounds like an ok price! It’s $5k for simple a** bat traps where I live in MA.”

@laureiseThankful to own a home but I fear we may never financially recover from this lol.♬ original sound – Laureise Livingston

Another commenter added, “Rented a cute house in the forest during COVID thinking it was the dream—rats everywhere always.”

Others detailed their own costly home repairs, with one user writing, “Termites and beetles first year, second year fixed roof and sewer lateral, third year garage floor hole. No more savings. Tired.”

Despite the expenses, some felt that spending money on home repairs was simply part of the deal when owning property. “I think $15k for house maintenance when you first buy your house is a steal,” one commenter said. “Our house was completely renovated, and we still had to spend $30k on some fixings and things.”

The Harsh Realities of Forest Living

Living near the forest may seem like a peaceful escape, but for homeowners like Laureise, it’s anything but. As noted in the Pest Cemetery blog, a house in the woods serves as a haven for wildlife—and not just the type you want to see. Mice, bugs, and other critters see your cozy cabin as a prime place to find food and shelter, often leading to major infestations.

Laureise’s story is a stark reminder that homes in the forest come with unique challenges, and they’re not always the relaxing retreats they appear to be. Before making a purchase, potential buyers should consider the hidden costs of pest control and home repairs, which can add up quickly.

Her message to anyone considering a home in the woods: Think twice. What seems like a peaceful sanctuary could end up costing you more than you bargained for.