Home Buyer Tips – Mold Smell
When you are looking at homes in Metro Detroit whether it is a condo in Northville or lake home in White Lake you may encounter a home that smells of mold. You may not notice it at first because the seller may be trying to camoflage it by opening the windows, putting charcoal bags in the house, or they may be using air freshners to overcome the smell. There are many different trick to suppress the smell. We just have to be a little smarter than the devious seller.
You may walk into the house and it may smell funny. Or as you get closer to the problem the smell make become stronger. Many times when you open the basement door is when you may really smell it. Most people will be able to smell mold. Once you smell the mold then you want find the source of the water and the mold to see if the problem is one you should walk away from or one that you can have fixed and remediated. If you really love the house it pays to be a detective and find out why the house smells of mold.
Mold can be remediated. The cost of mold remediation is not outrageous and in many cases the sellers will pay for it when you ask for it in an inspection addendum. The issue may be that you have somebody that suffers from asthma or has allergies. Then a moldy house may not be your best pick.
The second issue of mold is that mold is caused by water. When you have a Metro Detroit house that smells of mold you need to become a detective to find the water source and the source of moisture for mold. That is where is may become a major issue. If the basement is finished you may not be able to find the source of the water because it may be hidden behind the walls. But there is other ways you may be able to find the sources of water. Look for water stain molding. Look for mold on the drywall. Look for bubbling paint. Look for areas in the basement that you can see the actual walls of the basement. Not the drywalled walls or paneled walls. The actual block walls or the actual cement poured walls.
If the source of the water is in multiple areas then it could become a costly fix. If water is coming into the basement from behind finished walls then you are going to have to take those finished walls down. You may have to plug rods holes or fix a crack in a poured wall. You may have to put into a interior drainage system and sump pump. On a block wall you have to make sure the wall is not bowed and needs structural support. That is a very costly fix. Normally I would say to walk away from a home that has structural basement issues. You would have to really, really have to have the house. You would have to be absolutely in love with the house to still want to buy it.
You want to try to determine the source of the mold before you started spending money on home inspections and appraisals. Why waste money on a home you may decide not to buy. The costs and the amount of work may be way too much for you. This is why I do these articles and videos so you understand the whole issue and how you can solve it. I never want my buyers to think I am pushing them to buy a home. Nor do I want you to buy a money pit, or a home that you really do not have the knowledge, time, or money to fix.
It does not matter if it is a condo in South Lyon or if you are buying a home in Canton.
I want you to get a home you love that fits your family’s needs and wants. I want you to buy a home you can afford and a home that does not have issues that you cannot handle. That’s my job to protect you as much as possible. Call me to day at 248-310-6239 to hire a good home buyers agent.
Plus you get a great home buyers bonus so why leave that money behind. Call Russ today to get what you deserve.
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