Before buying a house, you need to make sure that it is in good condition and that everything is as stated in the listing. While a general house inspection will point out any issues in the house, it may not indicate whether there is mold. If you want to check if there is mold, you will need an expert to do that for you. In this article, we help you determine, “is mold inspection necessary and what should you do if you find it before buying a home?
Is Mold Inspection Necessary
Mold inspection can be a necessary step for homebuyers to understand the state of the potential new home. Usually, sellers are required to disclose any known issues of mold before selling a house. However, not all sellers actively check for mold before listing a property. Even when they know about it, rarely do they do anything about it. Therefore, a mold inspection can be a necessary step in buying a home to check the actual state of the house.
Should I Get a Mold Inspection When Buying a House?
Although mold inspections are not a requirement when buying a house, getting one can potentially save you money and a lot of stress. A pre-purchase mold inspection involves getting a licensed mold professional to come to a home and conduct a comprehensive investigation for any possible areas of mold. The inspection does not only cover the current mold presence, but also any condition that is likely to lead to mold growth in the future.
Although you may be getting a general home inspection that checks for any obvious defects before buying a home, it usually does not cover a mold investigation. In other words, a home inspection is not a mold inspection. However, failing to conduct a mold inspection might cost you thousands of dollars in mold removal and repairs later on.
While a home inspector will look at the general condition of the home, it is not their job to check for mold. At the very least, they can mention signs of water damage or potential mold issues. However, they will not go into details to explain the presence of impact of mold on the house. Since water damage and mold growth usually start in places hidden from sight, it can become a major problem in the future.
If the conditions are right, mold can grow quickly in dark areas and pose significant risks to the structural integrity of your home as well as the health of your family. Usually, mold likes to grow in dark, damp places. During the inspection, the mold inspector will look into the following areas:
- Indoor air handlers and furnaces
- Underneath floorboards
- Under sinks and around plumbing lines
- Inside walls and crawlspaces
- Basements and attics
- Inside air vents
- Chimneys
- Windowsills
The approach used by a mold inspection is more thorough and effective in determining whether the house has mold. For the most part, mold inspection is done visually with no special equipment involved, apart from a flashlight and tools for accessing restricted areas, such as removing grates to inspect HVAC ducts. The mold inspector may also use cameras and a moisture meter to determine if an area is wet, especially after remediation. In some cases, techniques such as mold testing and air sampling can be used to take samples from the air or surfaces and send them to the laboratory for analysis.
What to Do if You Find Mold When Buying a House
If the pre-purchase mold inspection finds signs of mold in the house, you need to address them before making the purchase. You can take the inspection report to the seller and negotiate for them to either fix the problem or lower the selling price to help cover mold removal costs. If the seller refuses to negotiate, you may consider walking away. A licensed mold remediation company can help you determine how much it would cost to repair the mold issue. With this information, you can determine whether you still want to buy the house.
Hire Professional Mold Inspectors
If you are in need of a professional mold inspector, get in touch with us today. We are a leading environmental health and safety firm with a team of licensed professional mold assessment and remediation experts. Our team will conduct all the necessary pre-purchase mold inspections, ensuring an informed process of buying a home and potentially saving you the cost of future repairs.
