Mold Inspection When I’m Buying A House?

Mold is a serious concern for buyers. You don’t want to have mold growth in your purchased home. The expansion of these colonies in your living quarters may cause serious health problems.

Mold issues generally reduce a property’s value, warns Markham Services. Most buyers ignore homes that have issues with mold. Ignoring the cold facts can create serious long-term expenses. Paying for extensive removal services isn’t something you would want to do after buying a home.

In this article, we’ll cover the trouble with mold when buying a house. You’ll see how ordering a pre-purchase  inspection could save you time and money down the road.

What is mold?

Should I Get A Mold Inspection When I’m Buying A House

It is a living organism belonging to a group called fungi. Similar to mold, mushrooms and yeasts are fungi as well. All of their bodies are made of structures that resemble threads.

The spores float around in the air all the time. The growth starts after a successful contact with an appropriate surface surrounded by favorable conditions. And the main ingredient for creating these advantageous conditions is moisture.

Why is mold a problem?

It’ll means trouble for homeowners mainly because of two distinct reasons.

• It may easily damage whichever surface it grows on.
• Its is a potential health hazard for you and your family.

How does mold affect your health?

Since there are numerous types of mold, not all of the strains pose a health risk. But there are certain types that have the capacity to negatively impact your health and well-being.

Here are some likely symptoms of the ailments you may experience:

• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Stuffy nose
• Daytime tiredness
• Coughing
• Sneezing fits
• Throat irritation
• Wheezing
• Chest tightness
• Nasal congestion

People most likely to show these symptoms have allergies, asthma, or a chronic immunodeficiency.

What constitutes a mold problem?

Any growth in your home represents a problem. Even if the mold covers a small surface area, there’s a high risk of further expansion. Sometimes the mold you see exhibits only part of the total mold existing in the house. Hidden mold is a common challenge for homeowners.

How can I spot mold growth?

Here are the most typical signs of mold growth:

• Aggravation of any allergies or chronic health problems
• A musty odor that some people describe as “basement smell”
• Growth that could be seen with the naked eye

In many cases, you won’t see direct signs of the problems. You could still take note of important risk factors in the prospective home.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common high-risk situations.

• The home you are viewing has poor ventilation.
• There are visible signs of high moisture levels, such as condensation on windows and in glass objects.
• Current residents over-water their houseplants, releasing extra moisture into the air.
• You can spot leaking pipes or roof leaks that allow excess water to enter the living spaces.
• The property has a recent history of flooding or serious water damage.

Is home inspection enough to uncover a mold issue?

Not really, we recommend hiring a separate inspector to conduct a separate survey. That’s because mold isn’t the main focus of a home inspection in most cases. Instead, home inspectors focus on your HVAC system, electricity, roof situation, and potential foundation problems. Your home inspector could find signs of growth, but that would be more of a side note.

Mold inspectors have the knowledge, tools, and experience to find growth that is hard to spot or completely hidden from view. They will check all the likely areas, including floors, attics, wall cavities, rugs, and spaces behind the walls.

Do mold inspections always reveal mold growth?

Home sellers may take measures to hide it instead of paying for remediation services. The most common quick fix is painting over it or using other means to hide the affected areas.

However, painting over it isn’t really going to fix the root cause. It’ll will return sooner or later because the paint doesn’t destroy the spores nor remove the underlying moisture issues in the house.

Only an experienced inspector could spot the homeowner’s efforts to conceal the growth. Also, there are tools that can detect how saturated is the indoor air in fungal spores.

In a nutshell: Should I Get a Mold Inspection When I’m Buying A House

Mold inspection is a necessary step before committing to a home purchase. You want to make sure that prospective property isn’t harboring a health hazard, such as black mold.

While a home inspection may uncover mold growth, the most efficient approach is hiring a professional mold inspector. Inspections conducted by a qualified mold expert significantly increase the chance of finding rogue spores.

Ready to find your new home here in the Tampa Bay and Surrounding Areas? Nick, Cindy & Nicholas Davis with RE/MAX Premier Group are here to assist you with all your Real Estate Needs. We are always available at 813-300-7116 to answer your questions or you can simply click here and we will be in touch with you shortly.

Need to get started with your mortgage process? You can contact Kyle Edwards with Iberia Bank at 813-495-5131, or simply click here to start your online application.

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