If you discover mold in your house after buying it, contact an experienced mold inspector or remediator right away. Don't try to clean the mold yourself – leave it to the professionals. The experts can assess the problem and determine the source of the moisture intrusion that is allowing for mold growth.
The best course of action if you find mold after buying a house is to contact a mold inspector. Get a professional to tell you if there is mold, what type, and the best course of action. Professional mold removal isn't always necessary, especially if it's surface mold and can be cleaned with bleach.
If you bought a home that was built by someone else, you may be able to sue the previous owner and their real estate agent for failing to disclose the mold infestation. You also may be able to sue the property inspector for failing to notice and inform you of the mold.
Often the high remediation cost has led people to look toward new construction. Their logic is that a newly built home would never have mold because it doesn't have a history of water damage. Unfortunately, this is wishful thinking. If you take a close look, you'll see there's mold all over the framing.
The presence of mold in construction defect cases naturally means contractors may be responsible. You may sue those responsible for your structural damages and remediation costs. Potential defendants include: Contractors and subcontractors (including general contractors, roofers, framers, siding/stucco contractors)
The discovery of mold may be a deterrent for some buyers, especially if they have a compromised immune system, but should not be a deal breaker for most transactions. In this blog post, we explore some common mold scenarios you may encounter after a home inspection.
The legislators don't want you dragging the seller into court 20 years after the sale, when no one recalls what happened and evidence might be long lost. Most statutes of limitations are somewhere between two and ten years, but this will depend on where you are and what type of claim you have.
Mold discovery during a home inspection doesn't have to derail a real estate transaction. By taking the correct steps—starting with laboratory testing and following through with professional remediation—buyers and sellers can ensure the property is safe and the sale can proceed without unnecessary complications.
Unless you can prove that the previous owners and/or realtor knew about those issues, and purposely hid those things from you, then fixing those things would be left to you. If you can prove that, you will probably have to go through the court system to get them to pay for those repairs.
Homeowners insurance doesn't usually cover mold damage or removal unless it's the result of a covered peril. If the mold in your residence was caused by something sudden or accidental, such as a bursting pipe or some other covered incident on your policy, you may be protected.
Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors. If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the water problem. If you clean up the mold, but don't fix the water problem, then, most likely, the mold problem will come back.
Who pays for mold remediation of a property that is on the market? Typically, the seller of the property is responsible for the costs of mold remediation.
For sellers, disclosing mold issues is crucial for several reasons: Legal Compliance: In most states, sellers are required by law to disclose any known mold problems. Failing to disclose mold can result in lawsuits, financial liability, and the potential rescission of the sale.
If you can prove that a home inspector was negligent when performing their home inspection, you could have legal grounds to sue. But this is generally only the case if you can prove your home inspector didn't follow SOPs and/or did not adhere to a pre-inspection agreement you signed.
The impact on market value could be very large, depending on the situation. I have appraised homes in which the mold was so extensive, that the cost to remediate the mold exceeded the market value of the home. Generally in these cases, the home is razed. The times where I have seen this were with bank-owned homes.
No matter what type of mold is present, it should be removed. Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. For people that are sensitive to molds, it can cause stuffy nose, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing, eye irritation, or skin irritation.
Unless it's written into the Purchase and Sales, they are not responsible for repairs after closing. We sold our house back in '97. Paid for an insurance policy for all of the big things in the house should they break, like the furnace, the pool, the appliances, etc.
Before taking action, make sure you are within the statutes of limitations. This puts a limit on how long you have to sue someone from the date of the alleged offense. Every state is different, but most are between two and 10 years depending on what type of claim you have.
If the owner did not disclose the work (which they are legally obligated to), then you can sue them for misleading real estate practices. Because the unpermitted work wasn't disclosed, the inspector wouldn't know to check for it, would approve the house, and could put you at risk of the repairs break down.
Even if mold cleanup in your new home looks like an easy job, think twice about handling it by yourself. Talk with a restoration company that specializes in mold removal. Certified technicians handle everything from independent mold testing to drywall tear-out and reconstruction.
The presence of mold can lower the price of a house by up to 10-30%, depending on the extent of the infestation. According to researchers in a 2001 study, one particularly serious mold infestation decreased the overall value of a luxury home by more than half.
If the mold damage is located in your living room, kitchen or the bathroom, the experts will recommend you to find alternative lodging for the time being. Also, if you have infants and elderly people at home or have family members with a weak immune system, you should probably leave your home for a while.