Should I Get a Mold Inspection When I’m Buying a House?
If you are planning to buy a house, consider inspecting it for potential issues it might have and which could escape the naked eye. Mold may be one of the problems for a building that is on sale.
It’s highly recommended to get a mold inspection before signing the contract. Whether the seller is leaving out the mold part or failing to tell you about it, or even if the mold growth is yet undetected, you cannot take any risks that later might become a hefty cleaning bill.
How mold gets into your home
Mold is a type of fungus that grows through multi cellular expansion and has a rapid spreading rate. There are numerous forms of mold that could appear in your house. While not all of them are toxic, their presence represents a major risk for your health.
The worst type of mold to find in your home is generally known as "black mold," with the official name of Stachybotrys chartarum. It appears in buildings that integrate materials rich in cellulose in their construction. They can also appear in houses that have been water-damaged and left that way for a long period. This form of mold causes pulmonary hemorrhage in both humans and animals that leads to death.
The most common types of mold are not fatal, but they can cause respiratory problems and skin conditions. They appear when the humidity in your home exceeds 60% for a prolonged period. They can infect areas where water infiltration is most likely to happen, such as around the plumbing system and at the joining points of the construction.
Since it is often difficult or time-consuming to test a home for mold before buying it, you should opt for a mold inspection. Choose a third party that is unbiased and licensed to do this job for you can produce specific results on the levels of humidity, moisture and eventually mold in the house you are about to purchase.
Testing for mold
Mold testing is beneficial for both home buyers and sellers. It saves both from the potential trouble in terms of health, finances, and credibility. Whether you are selling or buying a home it is ideal to ask for a mold inspection from a professional company that offers these services.
The mold inspection results can determine you as a seller to postpone the sale until you remove the fungus, or at least be able to include it in the disclosure form that reaches the buyer. If you are buying a house, getting a mold inspection done can show you the current damage and the level of infection to determine the necessary cleaning or remediation costs.
Depending on the results that you receive from the mold inspector, you can buy the house as it is if it has minor mold issues, but lower your offer. Additionally, you can ask the seller to clean it before proceeding with the negotiations. A clean inspection can relieve you from the worry of having to deal with potential health problems or spending more money to get rid of the fungus.
Assessing the mold inspection
Since both sellers and buyers look to check for mold in the home they are about to buy or sell, the business of mold inspection is currently on the rise. More and more companies are looking to do business in this opportunity, which unfortunately has led to some scams performed by the least well-intended of them.
One of the most common tricks that homeowners or potential buyers can fall victim to results in hefty bills for products that they do not even require. Usually, individuals that pose as mold inspectors check your home for mold and find a severe form of fungus.
They will then recommend that this type of mold needs special treatment with specific products that you can only buy from them. Once you buy into their remediation plan, they provide you with cheap cleaning products before disappearing into thin air.
To avoid falling victim to this kind of scam, you must make sure that you always work with licensed professionals who can provide you with genuine mold inspection services. Upon selecting a mold inspector, make sure to check for their:
• License
• Experience
• Reputation
• User reviews
Additionally, you should be present at the time of the inspection and focus on the inspector’s work methods. If something does not seem right to you, return with another licensed mold inspector and perform a counter-test before investing in any fungus cleaning solutions if necessary.
What to do if you bought a house with mold.
If you did not get a mold inspection before buying a house, and you subsequently find mold in your home, you could sue the former owner for not disclosing it in the sale. You will eventually need to hire a mold inspector that can evaluate the age of the fungus infection in your home, and use his report in court.
To avoid this dreadful scenario that comes with additional expenses, you should always Get a mold inspection when buying a house.
Article and photo's provided by Bill Hendrix at Markham Services, Orlando FL
