You’ve been pacing the real estate market endlessly when you finally found it –– the home of your dreams.
When the inspection uncovers a substantial mold issue, you’re crushed, faced with the decision to walk away from what could be your forever home.
Whether you’re thinking of buying that home or you already own your dream home, inheriting a mold problem doesn’t have to end in a nightmare.
Before you let that perfectly good home slip through your fingers, discover your mold remediation options, learn about the risks, and understand if and when it’s time to say goodbye.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Mold Risks and Mold Remediation Options
- Buying a Home? When To Walk Away From a Home With Mold and When To Purchase
- Have You Found Mold in Your Current Home? When To Walk Away and When To Stay
- A Mold Discovery Doesn’t Always Mean You Have To Walk Away From a House: Consult the Mold Remediation Experts at Pure Environmental
Understanding Mold Risks and Mold Remediation Options
It’s rare in any case that mold is so severe that you have to sacrifice your home.
If you’re already living in a home with a mold issue, you may need to temporarily vacate to avoid any health risks and effectively remediate the problem.
However, in almost every case an experienced mold remediation specialist, like the pros at Pure Environmental, can treat and save any home with mold.
Mold Risks
Mold can cause varying health risks depending on whether you have certain sensitivities or mold allergies.
Without proper treatment, exposure to commonly found molds is likely to cause infection and the development of allergic and asthma effects like difficulty breathing and Rhinitis.
Other effects associated with mold can include:
- Odor: Due to its tendency to grow on damp, decaying surfaces, mold has a distinctive musty odor. The mold spores in the air substantially reduce the air quality and breathing this air has associated health risks.
- Stains: Mold is typically a black, green, or brown color. In most cases, it can’t simply be painted over. In order to fully remove the issue it needs to be treated with a moldicide. This moldicide will kill the mold, however, it will not always remove the coloration on the surface. The solution for this staining is either to remove and replace the material or apply a mold stain remover.
- Physical damage: Mold can grow in many places of the home you might not expect, such as in the HVAC system, air ducts, and carpeting. Mold in the air ducts can spread through the entire house where it can settle on other damp surfaces, exacerbating the mold problem.
- Financial damage: Large mold infestation is often a clear indication of a leak in the home’s plumbing system or roof. During the home or mold inspection, the inspector can use thermal imaging to determine the source of the problem. In addition to the mold remediation, consider the cost of repairing the underlying cause to avoid seeing the mold return.
Mold Remediation Options
Some mold infestations can appear intense and intimidating — that’s why it’s important to call in a mold remediation specialist immediately. They will provide you with a comprehensive mold remediation plan to detail exactly what your options are and what the cost will be.
Some mold removal service options presented might include:
- Surface cleaning
- Removal of contaminated materials
- Repair and restoration; and
- Air purification
The mold removal experts at Pure Environmental are no strangers to the common mold problems in the Pacific Northwest.
With all the rainy days we experience, all that moisture can lead to mold growth in many areas of your home. Our skilled team can expertly remedy your mold issue in no time.
Contact us today.
Buying a Home? When To Walk Away From a Home With Mold and When To Purchase
Signs To Walk Away
Extensive Mold in the Home Inspection
A home inspection report citing an extensive mold issue can stop you from buying, or at least it should be enough to slow you down and obtain additional inspections to determine if the mold signifies a significant water problem.
The last thing you want to worry about is the mold problem returning after undergoing extensive abatement.
A leak in the foundation or on the roof can be a costly fix and identifying the root cause is a key prerequisite before moving on to mold abatement.
Additionally, mold reported on an inspection can also create financing challenges.
Lenders for certain types of loans, especially Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, may not approve a mortgage request if the home has serious mold issues.
An extensive mold issue may be the indicator or catalyst of more costly problems that can urge you to walk away.
High Toxicity
If a mold report has determined there is Stachybotrys Chartarum, or toxic black mold, present, it must be treated properly and removed by a trusted professional.
Toxic black mold can be dangerous to anyone, especially if it is ingested by mistake.
Serious health effects of long-term exposure to toxic black mold have been linked to immunosuppression and certain types of cancer. Other serious long-term health effects can include:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinson’s disease; and
- Alzheimer’s disease
Professionals have all the necessary tools in their arsenal to safely access and remove toxic black mold, especially if it’s a potential infestation.
At Pure Environmental, we have rid many homes across the Pacific Northwest of toxic mold.
Infestations everywhere, from attics to basements to crawl spaces, you name it — we’ve fixed it.
Seller Unwilling To Pay for Remediation
Removing an extensive mold problem can add up quickly, especially if you aren’t financially prepared.
The price of mold remediation will depend on the severity of the growth and the methods recommended by the mold specialist.
Buying a house is expensive enough with all the added costs, so if the inspector finds mold that the seller isn’t willing to pay to remediate, it may be a sign to save your money and walk away.
Mold Problem Undisclosed by the Seller
Any issue known to the seller and they did not disclose up front is a big red flag.
When a seller doesn’t disclose a mold issue, understandably you might question what else they aren’t telling you about.
There may be other serious issues concerning leaks and flooding that they are withholding.
Severe Underlying Problem or Water Damage
Larger underlying issues like leaks, flooding, broken pipes, or broken appliances can cause damage that is expensive to repair.
Putting off those repairs can lead to mold growth in the home.
If mold is found, be cautious about what other issues may exist that can drain your wallet.
If it’s severe or extensive, you may want to continue on your house hunt.
Signs To Purchase
In most cases, you may still feel confident moving forward with your home purchase if the home inspection comes back with a mold report that shows:
- The mold growth is insignificant: Minor mold damage can be cleaned or remediated fairly easily and a mold specialist can tell you exactly how.
- The seller is willing to pay for remediation: Any time the seller is willing to pay for repairs and you don’t have to dole out extra cash is a sign of good faith. Just be sure the seller addresses the underlying cause of the mold as well. A leaky water pipe will just create a breeding ground for more mold if it’s not repaired along with the mold removal.
- The seller is willing to negotiate: Reducing the asking price of the home is another way a seller might want to acknowledge the mold issue, but doesn’t want to remediate it themselves. This may be true of sellers who are motivated by time. Lowering the asking price makes it easier for the buyer to resolve the problem. Again just remember to do your homework and get cost estimates to repair the cause of the mold issue as well.
- The home is ideal, despite the mold: Nothing is perfect. If mold is the only thing standing between you and your absolute dream home, it may be worth fixing yourself.
Have You Found Mold in Your Current Home? When To Walk Away and When To Stay
When To Walk Away (But Trust Us, This Is Rare!)
As a leading mold abatement specialist in the greater Northwest, we can say we have seen it all when it comes to moldy homes.
However, it rarely claims a home.
Mold issues can almost always be remediated and the damage repaired.
Here are a few reasons you may choose to walk away if you discover you have mold in your current home:
- If the mold problem is extensive and is coupled with extensive structural issues.
- If the cost is prohibitive and you’d save more by moving.
- If you or your family have a sensitivity or mold allergy that will not resolve with removal.
At the end of the day, the decision to leave your home is always a very personal one and should be made with your health and your wallet in mind.
When To Stay
Most mold remediation measures allow homeowners to stay in their homes, even if the most extreme issues require them to temporarily vacate.
Calling in a mold expert is the best favor you can do yourself if you want to save your home.
The experts at Pure Environmental can advise you of the best remediation and prevention options to keep you healthy and happy in your home for years to come.
A Mold Discovery Doesn’t Always Mean You Have To Walk Away From a House: Consult the Mold Remediation Experts at Pure Environmental
If you’re ready to buy or are already living the dream in your home, discovering mold can dampen anyone’s outlook.
But don’t let a little green, brown, or even black mold get you feeling blue.
Since 2010, the mold professionals at Pure Environmental have been serving homes and businesses across Oregon and Washington state, arguably the wettest region in the country.
Armed with a thorough and complete mold abatement process, our team of experts is committed to saving your home.
We don’t just stop at cleaning, removal, repair, and restoration.
At Pure Environmental, our mold remediation experts wield patented PurAyr™ technology, a powerful air and surface decontamination tool designed to safely neutralize any remaining mold spores in the air and on surfaces.
The PurAyr™ rapid oxidation process improves indoor air quality and eliminates odors, including that musty, moldy smell.
Call Pure Environmental today to eradicate the mold in your home — and keep it away for good.