Should I Get a Mold Inspection When Buying a House?

Before buying a house, it's normal for people to take a tour around it and check for any irregularities. One of these irregularities can be molds. They are not visible to the naked eye and will pose a greater problem once you move in.

If the thought, should I get a mold inspection when buying a house – has occurred to you before moving in, then you've already marked the first reason why you should get one done.

This suspicion will only help out the condition of your house in the long run and might even slash the seller's price for it.

In this article, we'll be taking you through the advantages of getting a mold inspection before buying a house and all you need to know before getting it done.

What Is a Mold Inspection?

Mold inspections help look for signs of mold growth from the past or present, caused by age or wearing out by the unit's previous owners.

It's also known as Indoor Air Quality or IAQ investigation. These studies investigate the larger subject of irritants prevalent in the air that cause discomfort.

A qualified mold inspector performs the process, who takes a thorough look around the house for any signs of current or previous mold growth.

That includes checking water pipes for any leakages, inside walls, crawl spaces for signs of wood decay, beneath floorboards, etc.

People who are sensitive to mold can experience an allergic reaction to mold growth in houses, so it's recommended for them to get an inspection done.

Mold also impacts the house's overall quality, so if your unit of choice gets inspected for mold growth, you can lower its price before purchasing.

Mold Inspection vs. Mold Testing

These two terms tend to get used interchangeably, but they have completely different meanings. So, make sure not to confuse one for the other.

In short, mold inspection refers to identifying the regions of mold growth and how much space it has taken up.

On the other hand, mold testing refers to the mold sample sent to the laboratories for testing. The tests will confirm the type of mold so that the necessary steps can be taken to eradicate it successfully.

Advantages of a Pre-Purchase Mold Inspection

A mold inspection can seem costly at first, but after knowing the many long-term benefits of this procedure, it will seem like an excellent investment. Here are some of the countless advantages of getting a pre-purchased mold inspection –

Health Benefits

Individuals with mold sensitivity issues are highly recommended to get a mold inspection done before moving into any unit. However, even without an allergic reaction to mold(s), you can still be at life-threatening risk due to mold exposure.

People with autoimmune diseases, sensitive skin, breathing problems, and a family history of cancer are at increased risk of dying from mold exposure. Black mold, on the other hand, can be fatal to anyone, even individuals with no health issues.

Exposure to black mold can cause respiratory problems, common cold symptoms, rashes, allergies, lung infections, chronic headaches, asthma, neurological problems, and toxic mold syndrome.

By getting a mold inspection performed, you can ensure the proper safety of your home and protect your wellbeing and that of others. The inspector will make sure to get rid of any signs of mold growth, no matter how minor or major.

In return, you can rest assured not to face any health implications due to mold in the future.

Better Air Quality

Mold travels through air and looks for places free of already growing mold to spread and increase. That rapidly deteriorates the air quality and proper ventilation of your home.

Like most living things, mold requires oxygen to grow. When there's a lot of mold growing fast, a lot of oxygen is needed to keep up with the sharp increase in production.

This process uses the oxygen already existing in your home, which reduces the breathability of the atmosphere.

You can notice when mold is causing ventilation issues by a musty shift in smell. It is not a decent scent and is often described as stale or pungent.

So, if you detect this sign, you should consider getting a mold inspection done right away. If not, the growth of mold can cause serious health problems and respiratory issues.

Lower Price of House

Mold is costly damage to houses. It can cause a significant devaluation of a house's overall price and quality. Most of the time, mold growth affects air quality and causes the structure of the home to become weaker and fall apart.

Inconveniences such as peeling wallpaper, leaky pipes, discolored walls, fungi on ceilings, wood decay, mold under floorboards and behind walls, etc., are all the result of rapid and excessive mold growth. Not to mention, a hefty amount of cash is required to eliminate the problem successfully.

If the home you're considering moving into gets a mold inspection and the inspector discovers a considerable amount of mold, you can then be able to purchase the house at a much lower price than what you've been told.

That is because mold inspections and removals can be costly, and you're paying for a house in good condition, not a moldy one.

Fewer Costs for Future Maintenance

Like we've discussed already, mold causes a lot of damage. These damages can be anything from slight discoloration in walls to broken pipes, which lead to permanent damage.

Without a pre-purchase mold inspection, you'll discover all these issues in your home after moving in.

By then, you will have to pay a fortune to fix everything and suffer the loss of not getting the house at a much lower cost before purchasing it.

Mold inspections help determine all the issues in a house's structure before buying it and resolve the problems before moving in and securing the unit at a slashed down seller price.

If the issues are resolved beforehand, they will not be an inconvenience in the future, saving you a lot of money on maintenance.

Identifies and Repairs Big Underlying Issues

As mold inspections help to detect issues in a house's infrastructure and repair them before purchasing, it can be a lot of help in the long run.

For instance, there is a leaky pipe in your house of choice, and you did not get a mold inspection beforehand to identify it. This leaky pipe can cause major problems in the future, such as pipe bursts, water damage, improper drainage, disposal, etc.

In this way, mold inspections can save you from a big underlying issue, so you don't have to go through the damages in the future.

Mold Growth and the HVAC System

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. The HVAC system uses filters, exhaust outlets, ducts, compressors, coils, blowers, and more to keep the conditions and environment of your home clear of toxicities.

This system also helps to regulate the air flowing in and out of your home and the temperature during hot and cool weather.

With proper use and care, an HVAC system can be used to combat mold growth in homes. Usually, even after mold inspections, some spores remain and start regrowing slowly.

A sound HVAC system will regulate your home's air quality and temperature to make it an unfitting environment for mold and thus prevent it from spreading.

However, if your house of choice already has an HVAC system installed, it's best to have a mold inspector check it out anyway. That is because it can still harbor some mold, which might have gone unnoticed by the previous owners.

Conclusion

If you're still thinking, "should I get a mold inspection when buying a house?" then the short answer we can give you is yes, if it fits your budget and plans for how long you wish to stay in the house. A mold inspection does more good and no harm at all, so it's worth the go.