INTRODUCTIONS

PRE PURCHASE MOLD INSPECTIONS 

In this post we will discuss why you should have a pre purchase mold inspection and not just a home inspection when buying a home. However, near the end of this same post we will be very honest and discuss why it is very often best not to hire a mold inspector and just walk away from a property before you get in to deep.

Real estate markets throughout the nation have been getting stronger and stronger for years now, and states like California, Texas, New York, and Florida are always top national leaders when it comes to the real estate market. Many new developments have been going up in West Palm Beach, and the Miami skyline is once again full of construction cranes. It’s a safe bet that homes and buildings have gone up in every major metropolitan area across the nation in recent years. But don’t rush, if you are considering buying a home or condo remember to consider having a pre purchase mold inspection done. 

HOME INSPECTORS AND MOLD

When buying a home, don’t let your enthusiasm to buy and eagerness to move in prevent you from crossing all your T’s and dotting all the I’s. One of the most important parts of buying a home is the home inspection, but don’t assume that the home inspector will exercise due diligence when it comes to examining your new home for mold.

When a home inspector goes to work, the thought of inspecting for mold is often the furthest thing from his or her mind. Many home inspectors see mold as a liability and do not want to see it, inspect for it, or talk about it. Many home inspectors leave mold testing to licensed mold assessors. When inspecting a home, a home inspector will look for bad wiring, plumbing and roof leaks, and structural defects such as a cracked foundation or an improperly constructed addition. These are the “big ticket” items that generally cost thousands of dollars to repair and could potentially be a deal breaker. The inspector will also test items such as vents in the bathroom and above the stove in the kitchen. He will check electrical panels and outlets. HVAC vents and ducts will be checked to make sure they are blowing air at the appropriate temperatures.

On many home inspections reports nowhere is there a place for mold inspection findings. And if the home inspector does include mold inspections it may not be their specialty, only a distraction and a way to make a few extra dollars. Years ago, before mold inspection licenses many home inspectors did mold testing as a add on service. However as the years went by most of them in Florida stopped providing the service as they learned over the course of a few years that doing a mold inspection correctly involved much more than testing the air. Some of them continued and made mold a specialty service that they focused on and dedicated all their attention to. I am one of those home inspectors turned full time mold inspector.

 

SELLERS AND MOLD
Don’t assume the seller has taken it upon themselves to inspect and professionally remove mold. Yes it is typically the seller’s responsibility to have mold professionally removed, or to disclose it, but they often do not. On the contrary, many times a home seller will simple paint, scrape or bleach over a visually moldy area in order to mask the problem. In many areas non disclosure by the seller is illegal, and can get them sued. In my personal experience it is often not the seller who discloses mold, but the neighbor. Of course if the neighbor was friends with the seller then they make keep the sellers secrets. A mold problem that is covered over may resurface later. It is up to you, the home buyer to question the seller and the sellers realtor, and also to hire an independent professional mold inspector. If the examination turns up mold, you can sometimes get the seller to pay the cost of a complete mold removal job, or you can sometimes get them to lower the price of the home.

 

WHEN IT MIGHT BE A TIME TO RUN AWAY AND NOT LOOK BACK

This may be hard for many people to accept, especially if you have just found a house that you have falling in love with. The truth is, many times if there is a potential for hidden mold in a home, then it may be best to walk away. Don’t waste money on pre purchase mold inspections, or down payments because even a mold inspection and air testing will usually fail to uncover hidden mold in a home for sale.

Despite being mold specialists, and despite using many methods and tools for finding mold, we will admit that if the seller intentionally or unintentionally hid mold behind paint, cabinets, drywall, or baseboards, it may be difficult or impossible for us or any mold inspector to find it. In fact, even air testing and our IR camera will not always uncover hidden mold problems in homes for sale.  Many people, even inspectors believe that hidden mold will show up in air tests. Don’t count on it because the mold spores will be trapped and not show up in air tests, but the VOC’s that the mold releases may escape and make you ill.

If you suspect that leaks or mold issues may have occurred, and the evidence is not visible then you should assume your mold inspector, the mold inspector’s lab, and the home inspector will miss the problem. Or if you suspect that the seller may have painted recently, or put in new cabinets or baseboards, or other new building materials, then hidden mold may be present and it may stay very well hidden until you remodel.

Many times, we will tell clients that we will not inspect a certain house for sell because of suspicious conditions like new paint and new paint odors, or because of air fresheners all over. Sometimes we do not inspect because of the history of flooding in the house. Often the history will be something like this “well about half the house was flooded during a hurricane and the seller put up new drywall and new paint but we do not know what half flooded, or if the mold was removed. How would you like to be in the mold inspectors shoes at such a time. In such cases we wisely walk away and refuse to inspect. We would prefer to not conduct an inspection on many properties for sale. I have personally done dozens and dozens of inspections where I have uncovered mold that the seller or the sellers contractor tired to hide. But often it is not possible to find such problems because finding them after being concealed involves ripping off baseboards or cutting holes in walls, and this is usually not allowed in homes for sale.

WHAT ABOUT INNER WALL AIR SAMPLES
In order to take effective inner wall samples the inspector has to know the general area of the exact wall where flooding occurred, or where mold is suspected. If the seller doses not disclose such red flag areas, and instead hires someone to conceal them then the inspector cannot know where to sample inside walls. Sellers will often not disclose where a mold problem occurred of if one occurred, this is typically an illegal act on the part of the seller and can get the seller and sellers realtor in lots of trouble for years to come, but it happens anyway.

WHEN IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO HAVE A MOLD INSPECTION DONE ON A HOME FOR SALE

If you are buying a property and water damage and moldy conditions have NOT been altered, removed, remediated, or hidden in any way then we have evidence to inspect during a pre purchase mold inspection. If the seller discloses all information honestly and fully, then we will hopefully have the background evidence we need. If there is no new paint, no new baseboards, no new cabinets and countertops, and the property does not have excessive amounts of furnishings, then it may be a candidate for inspection. In such cases we can often do an inspection that will uncover much of the properties mold, so it can be documented and so that recommendations can be made in our report.

At A-Accredited Mold Inspection Service we are a leading South Florida mold inspection company for current owners. We also conduct mold inspections for some home buyers in some situations. We hold and continuously maintain our professional mold assessors license. And certifications. As independent inspectors we do not have a vested interest in the outcome of our tests. Our tests are honest and objective, and for a reasonable fee we can come out and inspect the home you are about to purchase.