Buying a home is an exciting time! Hopes are high that the new home and neighborhood will be even better than the last. How can you be sure your new home is in the best condition possible? Most people rely on a home inspector to make sure the home is in good condition and ready to move in, but did you know that home inspectors are NOT required to report mold? Come learn about a family who found mold after the transaction, and how you can avoid this costly mistake!

Buying a Home – New Home: Old Mold Problem

Purchasing a home is a life changing decision. Most people will tell you that ‘location, location, location!’ is the key to finding the best home. But there are so many other considerations when making this kind of major purchase. The condition and age of the home, if the market is up or down, cost of the home (if it fits your budget), and whether the home needs improvements all help to determine if the home is right for you.

Congratulations on Your New Home, Nick and Jessica!

Nick and Jessica just bought their first home and are expecting their first child. They are very excited to start on their list of projects in this home as it’s a bit of a fixer upper. The house was built in the 1970’s and hasn’t changed much. She can’t wait to transform the bathroom. It’s so outdated. (Y’all remember those green tiles from the 70’s? Ugh.) He starts taking out the tile, and finds mold behind a big section of them.

Jessica is very concerned. She’s heard how dangerous mold can be and wants to have a  professional mold inspection performed before he does anymore work. He just wants to keep her happy. So, they call us, and we come out to do a comprehensive mold inspection.

Comprehensive Mold Inspection Report

Our inspector checks not only the bathroom, but the entire house top to bottom. Here at Branch Environmental, we check everything from crawl space to attic to everything in between. A comprehensive mold inspection report with photographs is created for and explained to Nick and Jessica.

“The good news is that the mold is localized near the downstairs bathroom. The bad news is that the entire floor and parts of the walls are infested with mold. All of the mold in the floor and surrounding drywall will have to be removed.”

There is so much mold in the area around the bathroom that whole floors and walls will have to be ripped out and replaced. What looked like a cheap update has turned into an expensive renovation.

Nick and Jessica had a big problem that could have been solved before they bought this house. Now that they are the home owners, they cannot get the seller to pay for any of the water damage to the home. Even worse, all those other Pinterest projects will have to be shelved to be able to pay for the renovation.

There is a silver lining to this story. When they chose to have the mold removal and renovations done together (with Branch), they saved money, were able to stay in their home during renovations, and gained peace of mind. Their home is safe for the little one on the way, and their bathroom looks great!

Buying a Home – How You Can Avoid Nick and Jessica’s Mistakes

Nick and Jessica did all the ‘right things’ before buying their home, but they didn’t know they needed a mold inspection separate from a home inspection. Nick and Jessica had a home inspection, but the inspector didn’t mention mold in their report. Why not?

Home inspections are an important part of any real estate transaction. They make sure the home is in good working order, the trim is not rotting, the appliances are working, the roof is sound, and the foundation is sturdy. While most home inspectors report mold they can see through the course of their inspection, they aren’t going to go out of their way to find it. They certainly aren’t going to take any responsibility for it because home inspectors are not legally required to report mold. A fact of which most home buyers are unaware.

Before Buying a Home – You Need a Mold Inspection

On the other hand, a comprehensive mold and indoor air quality inspection (like ours) should give you vastly more information than just a home inspection. Mold usually forms when there is a moisture problem or leak. Until the leak is fixed (and even after it is), the mold will continue to grow unless the mold is removed.

Unscrupulous sellers will try to hide mold by cleaning the surface of an area and adding fresh paint. This is NEVER a good idea! It’s both a nightmare for the buyer, and a legal headache for the seller. With a comprehensive mold inspection like ours, you gain the knowledge that every part of the home from attic to foundation has been thoroughly checked for mold. Our inspectors are relentless and leave no stone unturned. Even when people try to hide it, you can be sure Branch Environmental will find it!

It is worth every penny to have a comprehensive mold inspection performed before the sale. As a buyer, you gain the knowledge you need to negotiate if mold is found, or to know that this home is safe. You not only gain peace of mind, but also avoid costly repairs after the sale.

Buying a Home – How Do You Choose a Mold Inspection and Removal Company?

So, by this point we hope you’re convinced that you need a mold inspection before purchasing a home. But, how do you know whom to hire? Do you know what to ask mold inspection and removal companies before you hire them? What do mold inspection and removal companies really do?

As a mold inspection and removal company, we know what you should expect and what the industry standards should be. Some of our competitors offer “free” mold inspections. Which basically means that the inspector shows up and hands over a price to fix a symptom, without truly knowing the nature of the problem. The primary reason that we charge for our comprehensive mold inspections is the time and resources that go into each one.

A thorough inspection like ours, can give you confidence when purchasing a home. Be sure to check out our post: How to Choose the Best Mold Removal Company. We let you know all the questions to ask mold inspection and remediation companies, so that you can hire the right company for the job.

Buying a Home – Mold Affects Home Value

Unlike Nick and Jessica, you’ve learned that you should have a comprehensive mold inspection performed before you purchase a home.  What does that look like in reality?

Well, if you pay for a comprehensive mold inspection during your due diligence period, you will receive a comprehensive mold inspection report and an explanation from the inspector detailing their findings.

Below are three possible scenarios that could happen when you have the inspection performed.

Scenario 1: No mold. Home is in excellent shape. Go for purchase! This is of course the scenario everyone wants, but is not always the case.

Scenario 2: There is some mold in a small area. We would recommend that the seller fix the water leaks that led to the mold, clean the mold, and have the property re-inspected to be sure the mold is gone. (The seller should pay for the reinspection.) Also, a good scenario and relatively easy to fix.

Scenario 3: The home is infested with mold, and whole floors or ceilings will have to be removed and replaced. This is every buyer’s worst nightmare. Here is where you have to make hard choices.

Buying a Home – Knowledge is Power!

By this point, we hope you have seen the value of the comprehensive mold inspection report separate from a home inspection or appraisal. The decision to purchase a comprehensive mold inspection report along with your home inspection is money well spent. Knowledge is power! You now have the power in the negotiations with the seller, armed with the inspection report knowledge.

Knowing what you know now about mold, you could choose to walk away. But if it’s your dream home in the ideal location, that could be very difficult! What you might be willing to pay for the home now and its appraisal value may change, now that mold is a major problem. Sometimes lenders will not allow you to purchase the home without fixing the mold issues first.

Everything is negotiable once you have the knowledge. You could ask the seller to remediate and repair the property. You could also negotiate a lower price for the home, so that you could have the remediation and reconstruction performed yourself. Knowing what needs to be remediated and repaired, and how much it will cost, makes a big difference!

The Branch Difference

Call Branch Environmental. We’re experts not only at mold removal, but at determining and remediating the underlying causes. From hidden mold sources to major contaminants, we can identify exactly what is going on in your home and rid it of environmental toxins, often for good.