Selling a house with mold is quite a different process from others, like selling a house with liens on the property. This is because mold poses a direct danger to health and as such, is a pretty serious situation.
Mold growth can be hard to detect, especially if it occurs in hard-to-reach places, and is almost always found during a home inspection. So, given the severity of this health hazard, can you sell a house with mold?
Yes, you can. Now, before delving into the crux of this, what causes mold?
What Causes Mold?
Mold only requires two main elements to grow — water and oxygen. So, mold growth would typically occur in areas of your house where water is present. However, in a situation where water gets into typically dry areas such as a flood scenario, there’s a chance that mold growth would occur.
What Are the Most Common Sources of Mold?
Recall that mold needs water in addition to oxygen for growth. So, some of the most common sources of mold include:
- Plumbing
- Roof
- Crawl space
- Attic
- Bathroom
- Basement
Plumbing
Whether properly installed or not, pipes undergo a lot of wear and tear from elements of weather and the content they carry, which can eventually result in leaks. These leaks are not restricted to any specific area in the house and can even occur in ceilings and walls.
If you have hidden pipes and are looking for a leak, examining water spots is the way to go. If your pipes have experienced significant damage and need a total overhaul, you may see this set you back as much as $16,000.
Roof
Moisture remaining on your roof for an extended period can result in moss. Over time, the moss could then progress to become mold. Algae or moss growth on the roof can lead to mold growing extensively and making its way into your house.
Crawl Space
Moisture buildup isn’t necessarily a result of leaks all the time. If an enclosed space is close to a source of moisture like soil or dirt, it could build up over time. This makes your crawl space one of the areas susceptible to mold growth.
Attic
If there’s water in your attic, then there’s a chance that your roof has sprung a leak. Over time, this moisture buildup can lead to mold growth, so keep an eye on wet spots in the attic to spot any areas where mold might potentially be growing.
Bathroom
Your bathroom sees moisture day in and day out, and due to its enclosed nature, the moisture could remain for a long time, especially when it’s not properly ventilated. So, water could stay in corners or areas that you don’t clean a lot, and mold growth can occur.
Basement
Like in your crawl space, moisture can build up in your basement and grow mold. If you’re dealing with a leaky basement, in addition to mold growth, you would be tackling water damage. Furthermore, basements are susceptible to leaky pipes and flooding, increasing the odds of mold.
Selling a House With Mold
There are two approaches to selling a house with mold.
- Traditional sale
- Selling as-is
Traditional Sale
A traditional sale is one that sees you list the house on the open market and wait for potential buyers to come along. When selling a house with mold, there are certain measures you must take before going ahead with the sale.
Examine Your Home Thoroughly for Mold
This first step really is a DIY activity. Take your time to thoroughly search the house, particularly in spaces with moisture buildup. Check areas like the attic, basement, and behind the water heater.
If you’ve had flooding recently, check the areas that water got into to ensure that they properly dried out and mold growth isn’t happening.
Pay for a Mold Inspection
If you discover mold in one part of your house, chances are there are other areas with mold. To ensure you tackle every mold occurrence, an inspection is critical.
Even if you haven’t discovered mold, it may grow in hard-to-reach places, so scheduling an inspection is still ideal.
Address Mold Problems
If you discover mold, you want to address the issue before listing your house. Mold cleanup may take some time, so you should be ready to wait.
Usually, mold remediation involves a mold specialist examining your home from top to bottom, including ductwork and crawl spaces. The cost of this operation usually depends on how many areas mold growth is occurring and the extent.
Mold remediation typically sets you back anywhere from $500 to $6,000.
Fix Areas With Water Damage
You might face a two-pronged problem if your mold grows from extensive water damage. So, you would have to handle the mold problem and fix the areas experiencing water damage.
When removing materials damaged by water, there’s a chance that you will find significant levels of mold growth. In such cases, you should pause that and call in a mold professional first. When all of that is done, you can go ahead to start the long home sale process.
Selling As-Is
When you’re looking to sell your home, it’s possible that you can either not afford to pay for these repairs out of pocket or you simply do not have the time to wait for repairs.
You may also have inherited a house with mold damage, and you’re just looking to get it off your hands. A traditional home sale process may not necessarily work for you in situations like this.
Rather, an excellent alternative is working with a local cash buyer and selling as-is. Selling as-is implies that you sell the property just how it is without making any repairs.
Dealing with a cash buyer also means you get the cash value of your home in as little as seven days after a deal has been reached.
Who’s going to buy? We can help out with that! We buy houses that need serious repairs or are in various other conditions. At dsouzahomebuyers, we can provide you with a cash offer for your house in no time!
You don’t have to deal with any of this hassle. No need for repairs or renovations!
Fill out this form to get the process started, and we could be closing in as few as 7 days! Remember, no fees, no commissions, no closing costs!
If you have any other questions, definitely call us at (925) 503 8193.
Final Thoughts
Selling a mold-infested house can be an expensive and time-consuming process. If you don’t have the patience or funds to go that route, selling as-is to a local buyer could be an excellent option. Be sure to examine both before coming to a decision.
