Why One Should Do Mold and Air Quality Test First, While selling or Buying Homes!
Mold Testing
Upstate SC is ripe for Mold growth. Buyers and sellersrnshould have their homes tested prior to going to market. “An ounce ofrnprevention is worth a pound of cure.”
My phone rings too many times with a home seller frantic.rnWhy? Because the discovery of mold in their homes during the buyers’ inspectionrncreates an emergency. Oftentimes, folks list their home; get a binding contractrnto sell; only to find out they have a mold issue. Unfortunate to say the least.rnOnce a binding agreement is signed by both parties, sellers are obligated to correctrnthe problem. Rarely (if ever) have I seen a seller benefit from this. Oncerndiscovered, the buyer has the discretion to direct the seller in whateverrndirection they wish. Unless the seller has no interest in money, the buyer willrntake advantage of the discovery of mold. In short, if you are selling yourrnhouse, a Mold Test could substantially save you THOUSANDS of dollars. Did I sayrnthis should be done prior to the listing of your home?
Buyers beware. Due diligence includes but is not limited tornconducting a complete and thorough investigation of the home your planning onrnbuying. One often overlooked step is having a Mold Test completed by an expert.rnAlthough stringently screened, Home Inspectors are rarely Mold Experts. Whatrnthey refer to as ‘Organic Growth’ could possibly be “Stachybotrys”. (The mostrnlethal mold known to exist)
Having a mold test is not free, but could save the buyerrnTHOUSANDS of dollars in the long run. Not to mention the potential time andrnmoney spent away from work with Doctors and god forbid, Lawyers. Readers digestrnversion. If you’re buying a home, have a Mold Expert conduct a Mold Test priorrnto spending any additional effort in moving in.
Air Quality Testing
If you or a loved one is buying or selling a home inrnUpstate, SC, a few things you may want to consider. The above photo is anrnair-handler or called a “plenum”. This enclosed system; vents and ducting arernconvenient, located in homes with crawlspaces.
1. Performing an air quality test before buying or sellingrnis CRITICAL!
rnThis protects both sides of the transaction and will prevent potential problemsrnwith home sale/purchase. Although a “CL-100” (Home Inspector’s standardizedrnprocedure for Real Estate transactions.) purportedly protects all involved fromrnbuying or selling contaminated homes, it does not always happen.
rn2. Crawlspaces are notorious contributors to healthy/unhealthy Air Quality.
rnThe majority of homes built in the Upstate in the last century haverncrawlspaces. Again, vents and ducts are located in the crawlspace.
rn3. Crawlspaces are dark, wet and often a source of air contamination in homes.
rn“Out of sight, out of mind”! When was the last time you crawled under yourrnhome?
rn4. HVAC service contracts do not protect you from the mold!
rnRarely if ever do these HVAC companies identify or mention organic activity. Myrnexperience in the Greenville County Court System and the case history hasrnproved that HVAC companies are bigger players in Air Quality than they realize.rnFrequenting a crawlspace without informing a customer is more than tragic, it’srnLETHAL!
When properly maintained, temperatures in the home arernsafely dispersed throughout the seasons with the touch of a finger.
rnConversely, this centrally located system often gets wet, contaminated, orrncompromised. If left unchecked, V.O.C.’s (volatile organic compounds / Mold)rndisperse quickly throughout this network. Air-Handlers / Plenums have drainrnpans to disperse condensation. The risk of creating a “Petri Dish” increasesrnwhen systems do not drain properly.
Call Arrayofsolutions.com @ 864-710-6413 with questions orrnconcerns about your air quality. Your safety is our future!