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luvbuffet
LIF Adult
Member since 7/10 6470 total posts
Name:
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Mold
Saw a house yesterday but it's not perfect
Spotted mold on the basement ceiling. I guess there may be mold in the rest of the house? Let's say it's just the basement, what would be the cost to get it removed?
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Posted 5/8/16 8:36 AM  |
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MrsB12614
LIF Adult
Member since 4/14 1986 total posts
Name:
Mrs
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Mold
Hard to say- I'm sure a mold remediation company would have to assess. Also you may be able to negotiate this be fixed prior to closing. Sometimes banks request certain things be done. My grandfather had to go into assisted living and his condo had mold, termites and a broken oil burner (he wasn't able to care for himself or his home) and it's currently being sold- they had an offer on the house and then an inspection- the buyer is requesting it be fixed or they will walk. I would see if you could negotiate it and if you really like the house
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| Posted 5/8/16 9:47 AM |
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luvbuffet
LIF Adult
Member since 7/10 6470 total posts
Name:
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Re: Mold
Houses in the area being sold for cash, above ask,within days of a first open house. They will never agree to it. And I'm almost positive im the only one that spotted the mold during yesterday's open house. People are blinded by the freshly painted walls, new floor, etc that they don't look for the leak, mold,etc.
Would it be hundreds or thousands? Am I looking at 1,2k or 15k? Bringing a mold company will cost me money so should I put an offer before I do that and if they accept, THEN I bring someone in?
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| Posted 5/8/16 10:53 AM |
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LuckyStar
LIF Adult
Member since 7/14 7272 total posts
Name:
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Re: Mold
Posted by luvbuffet
Would it be hundreds or thousands? Am I looking at 1,2k or 15k? Bringing a mold company will cost me money so should I put an offer before I do that and if they accept, THEN I bring someone in?
I'd bring them in with the inspector- like the day after you get an accepted offer. You can walk before you sign contracts- and so can they, so you want to do it fast.
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| Posted 5/8/16 11:12 AM |
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NYCGirl80
I love my kiddies!
Member since 5/11 10413 total posts
Name:
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Re: Mold
Posted by luvbuffet
Houses in the area being sold for cash, above ask,within days of a first open house. They will never agree to it. And I'm almost positive im the only one that spotted the mold during yesterday's open house. People are blinded by the freshly painted walls, new floor, etc that they don't look for the leak, mold,etc.
Would it be hundreds or thousands? Am I looking at 1,2k or 15k? Bringing a mold company will cost me money so should I put an offer before I do that and if they accept, THEN I bring someone in?
There's no way to know how bad the mold situation is, but assume it's going to be thousands. If you can see it, there's more that you can't see. I agree with another poster. Put the offer in, get an inspection and bring in a specialist (the owners will have to agree to this, though) and see what they say. Better to know what you're getting into while you can still walk away.
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| Posted 5/9/16 9:00 AM |
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PennyCat
Just call me mommy :)
Member since 7/08 19084 total posts
Name:
Jib
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Re: Mold
We had an accepted offer on a home and at the inspection, they found mold all throughout the basement (behind the walls..) something we didn't notice when we walked through ourselves.
It's not just the cost of mold removal that you need to consider- it's also eliminating the CAUSE of the mold in the first place, otherwise it will just come back.
In our case, this was going to cost upwards of approx 30k. For that reason, we walked from the house. 7 months later we found spectacular home, in a completely different league than the one with the mold. Ultimately, the mold was a blessing in disguise!
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| Posted 5/9/16 7:19 PM |
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luvbuffet
LIF Adult
Member since 7/10 6470 total posts
Name:
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Re: Mold
We aren't in a rush but everything keeps going up. I don't want to be priced out of the area. We found a perfect home in the perfect neighborhood. I wouldn't even paint, that's how perfect it was. We called to put in an offer but they accepted one "way above ask" so now I'm stalking to see what it sold for lol. I'm not the only one that stalks real estate, right?
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| Posted 5/9/16 7:50 PM |
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PennyCat
Just call me mommy :)
Member since 7/08 19084 total posts
Name:
Jib
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Re: Mold
Been there... It's tough. It's so hard to see a home and imagine yourself in it only to get beat out by a more aggressive buyer. We were on the market (on and off) for years. By the time we found the house we ultimately bought, we were VERY determined. We went up against 3 other very qualified buyers, went into a bidding war, and paid above asking. Depending on the area, it's a very tough market!
It helps to try and keep in perspective that it's a house, and there will always be another..... no matter how frustrating. 
Eta- also like you said.. It's not perfect. It had MOLD! Now it's someone else's problem. You'll find something. This is the hot time for the market. It was a dry winter.
Message edited 5/9/2016 8:10:01 PM.
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| Posted 5/9/16 8:07 PM |
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Re: Mold
I'm going to the lone voice of saying "don't freak out" yet.
Mold is a scary buzzword, but I've been through many, many home inspections and not all mold is created equal. It depends on the cause of the mold, what type of mold, how pervasive it is.
Sometimes there is one or two small spots of surface mold, on a wall or ceiling, which all you would need to do is cut out that piece of sheetrock or ceiling tile (if it's a drop ceiling) and patch or replacement. In a basement ceiling, it could be caused by a leaky pipe or something that dripped and made a wet spot and was since fixed. Basements are naturally damp, humid places in every house, so you need to make sure there's proper ventilation (open windows, run dehumidifier) or mildew can form on surfaces.
Or it could be a more pervasive problem that would be a health hazard and expensive to fix.
You are right to look beyond fresh paint or updated finishes for signs of major problems, but not every spot of mold is cause to go running, imo, and a good home inspector would say the same. It's definitely a case by case issue.
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| Posted 5/10/16 7:36 PM |
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luvbuffet
LIF Adult
Member since 7/10 6470 total posts
Name:
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Re: Mold
Posted by Century 21 Dallow - Christine Braun
I'm going to the lone voice of saying "don't freak out" yet.
Mold is a scary buzzword, but I've been through many, many home inspections and not all mold is created equal. It depends on the cause of the mold, what type of mold, how pervasive it is.
Sometimes there is one or two small spots of surface mold, on a wall or ceiling, which all you would need to do is cut out that piece of sheetrock or ceiling tile (if it's a drop ceiling) and patch or replacement. In a basement ceiling, it could be caused by a leaky pipe or something that dripped and made a wet spot and was since fixed. Basements are naturally damp, humid places in every house, so you need to make sure there's proper ventilation (open windows, run dehumidifier) or mildew can form on surfaces.
Or it could be a more pervasive problem that would be a health hazard and expensive to fix.
You are right to look beyond fresh paint or updated finishes for signs of major problems, but not every spot of mold is cause to go running, imo, and a good home inspector would say the same. It's definitely a case by case issue.
i noticed signs of a leak in 2 rooms on the main floor. the way the roof slants like a slide ( tudor home). the neighbors have a similar slope and we noticed patches of water that just remained still. the mold that I spotted in the basement was on the ceiling. house sold two years ago and its back on the market. I know there could be a million reasons as to WHY they are selling but they did a ton of work to it and their purchase price vs their selling price now, its not really a flip. ill just keep an eye on the property but im sure they have an accepted offer by now 
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| Posted 5/11/16 10:41 AM |
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silverlining
LIF Infant
Member since 9/15 49 total posts
Name:
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Re: Mold
Don't use a home inspector for this, get a certified mold inspector. Home inspectors miss mold all the time. The air tests they do are crap, get an ERMI. It could be something as simple as not running a dehumidifier in the basement, or it could be a much larger problem. I have suffered from mold illness, it is not something you want to get into with blinders on.
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| Posted 5/12/16 12:16 AM |
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luvbuffet
LIF Adult
Member since 7/10 6470 total posts
Name:
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Re: Mold
Ty!!!
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| Posted 5/12/16 12:53 AM |
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