Serving all of SW Ohio & Florence, Covington Kentucky
Buying a New Home or Trying to Limit Mold Expenses?
Only 15% of our calls come from new home buyers in which about half are purchasing homes that are recently unoccupied or have been for quite some time. If you are not purchasing a new home and merely trying to limit your mold evaluation costs, skip down to "Trying to Limit the Cost of Mold Services?" (below).
Often times home purchaser’s are trying to save money at the most critical period of their relationship with their potential new home by localizing and limiting mold evaluation services to where they personally think problem areas may exist; using their own non-professional judgment and at times a home inspector who is not qualified to evaluate mold problems. The following are a few questions and points to consider before hiring a mold tester or inspector prior to your purchase.
Did your Home Inspector Report a Problem
If you hired a home inspector, you probably toured the property at least once, prior to calling the home inspector. Would you ask for a limited home inspection of say of only the roof and HVAC if the other areas appeared to be OK through your own observation?
If you or your home inspector observed a potential mold problem in the basement, would you call a mold professional and ask for limited mold evaluation or testing in the basement alone?
Are you aware that mold(s) easily spread to other points in the house by merely utilizing natural environmental airflow & humidity levels present in every house, to colonize in those areas? So it does not take a water leak or standing water for molds to grow. Are you also aware that discolorations resembling mold(s) will not be visible in or under carpeting, padding, appliances, cabinetry, vents, ducts, furniture and these areas are not covered in a certified home inspection via the Standards of Practice of all major home inspection associations (ASHI – NACHI – NAHI).
Do you understand that there are no requirements in any of the above SOP’s for a home inspector to evaluate any potential mold, mildew or fungus condition other than stating that molds and the underside of the components listed above are absolutely not covered during your home inspection under any circumstance? Some home inspectors list a possible mold condition in their reports as a courtesy to their clients.
It may have come as a surprise to you that a possible mold problem may exist via your home inspection report or through your own observation. Since you have accepted this surprise and are still pursuing purchasing the house, you may tend to take the path of the least financial resistance. Here are a few facts to consider:
Trying to Limit the Cost of Mold Services?
Generally, to test an entire house for mold costs around $300 to $360.
To test one area alone costs between $150 and $200.
A limited mold inspection of say the basement and exterior foundation area alone would cost around $200.
A whole house mold inspection would cost around $275 to $350.
You can see by this general “rate scale” that whole house services are more expensive as they should be. You can also see that concentrating in a single area is disproportionally higher in expense than whole house services. Here’s why: Travel, labor and shipping.
The travel time to the site is the same.
Although the labor cost is lower for “limited services” it is disproportionally higher due to preparation and setup time.
Shipping/travel costs for mold samples will generally be the same for 1 or 10 samples.
The Bottom Line
What we recommend: When purchasing a new property, especially if it has been vacant, House To Home Enterprises recommends having the entire house air sample tested for mold.
In conclusion: Now is not the time to be flea market frugal with, no doubt, the most important investment you will ever make. Since you are reading this page, you are no doubt concerned about mold. Spending and extra $100 to $150 to cover the entire house with a mold inspection or testing is much better investment than having localized areas evaluated. If you are still undecided on which way to go, you might ask yourself why am I willing to pursue this house for an extra $200 and not willing to pursue it for $300?
You hired a home inspector to inspect the entire house to give you peace of mind why not follow the same mindset for mold services?