Correct Mold Issues For Health ... Of Your Home.

This week we want to flag for you an inspection issue that can be completely avoided just by looking ahead.   Over the years we have found that the word "Mold" can have one of the most negative impacts on negotiating inspection resolutions between buyers and sellers.  It is the most likely inspection problem that will cause a buyer to terminate the contract and further, lenders become very skittish unless the repair and remediation of mold is handled very carefully.   However, truly in this area, we find that most mold issues are not really the serious kind of mold that can lead to health and safety issues.  But once the word is introduced in the inspection process, many buyers have a difficult time overcoming the negative connotation.

Most often, if an Owner monitors their home over time by periodically checking crawl spaces for standing water or mildew and dealing with such issues as they appear, genuine mold issues never arise.  We believe it is in any owners best interest to do regular spot checks on the underpinnings (or in attic areas) of their home as the usual cause of mold is moisture retention which can cause structural integrity and/or decomposition problems.   Those kinds of problems can be far more serious to correct than the actual mold.

You already know our thoughts on pre-inspection: we think it is a great idea for all Sellers to consider doing a pre-inspection before marketing their home.  Let me give you a recent example of a Seller who decided not to do a pre-inspection.  The Seller negotiated what they believed to be a fair price for their home and entered into the contract for sale.  During the inspection period, the Buyer's inspector flagged a mold and moisture issue which had caused structural problems under the home.  The Buyer provided to the Seller a bid from a "certified" mold specialist for remediation at a cost of nearly $20,000.00.   Had the Seller known of this problem they would have dealt with it before marketing their home, most likely at a much reduced cost to them, and they would have built this cost into what they believed was the best price for their home.  This story had a happy ending as we were able to help this Seller find less costly mold remediation solutions that were acceptable to the Buyer and to the Buyer's lender and the Buyer did not terminate the contract.