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How to Properly Remove Mold Before Selling your Home

Posted On Thursday, 29 June 2023 19:54

When it comes to selling your home, it's important to ensure that it is in optimal condition. This includes addressing any mold issues before putting it on the market. Recently, Orange-Restoration had a client that purchased a home that was not properly inspected and it had mold, asbestos, electrical wiring issues, and even plumbing issues! When you are selling your home, you want to have confidence that you took proper action. The client who found all these issues with their recently bought property will be tying up the previous owner in lengthy litigation as they are obviously responsible for issues that were neglected prior to the sale of the home. We recommend being diligent as a seller as much as a buyer because if you are not honest, integral and using best practices you may find yourself losing sleep at night even after you close escrow. Getting your home to its top conditions prior to closing is not only about the look, it is about integrity that will last and allow you to sleep at night before and after you close escrow!

Mold Prevention Tips and Resources

For comprehensive mold prevention, education, and DIY mitigation resources, check out this blog by Orange Restoration, they have compiled many of their mold remediation blogs and prevention blogs to one article “Mold Remediation After A Rainy Season." On top of this great resource, here are some essential steps to follow for proper mold removal prior to selling your home:

Cleaning Your Home Before You Sell

Before listing your home for sale, consider investing in professional cleaning services. A thorough cleaning will help you present your home in the best possible light for sales photos and showings to potential buyers. The cleaning of your normal spaces may be easy for you and your family members, but getting down to where inspectors and new home buyers will look is a bit more difficult. 

Getting a professional involved for the right job can work wonders. For example, carpet cleaning by a professional can add value and life to your carpet. Another neglected but often dirty space is the attic, where most family members probably avoid. While the family avoids the attic and crawlspace, our imaginations do not. Every guest to your home who notices the clean conditions might think “I wonder what they are hiding in their attic to make this place look so clean” which is a random suspicious thought, but one that is common for buyers. You might even be thinking about the conditions of your attic now and you are probably imagining it all! 

Hiring attic and crawl space cleaning professionals may sound like a little over the top, but the cost of the service is priceless if the team can uncover issues that would be caught by inspectors or a potential buyer. 

Mold Inspection Pass 

A good idea to cover a common buyer concern is to arrange for a professional mold inspection of your property. Often professional providers will do promotions with a free Attic Inspection, these can be done to uncover the cost of the cleaning needed and any repairs. In addition, the inspection will help identify any existing mold problems that need to be addressed. If mold is found be sure to get it tested before any work is done. It's crucial to resolve these issues before selling your home. If you discover mold, getting professional mold mitigation may be needed to provide a clean and safe environment for the future occupants.

Awareness and Disclosure is Best Practice 

After you find mold and remove it, you may feel the problem no longer exists. However, maintaining transparency with potential buyers by disclosing any past mold damage and remediation efforts may be a good idea. It's essential to be honest and upfront about the history of mold issues in your home to ensure trust. Provide documentation of the mold remediation work and inspections conducted to assure buyers that the problem has been properly resolved. 

Integral Actions Speak For Themselves 

Even the fact that the new buyer was informed of the work and the previous issues may be grounds for the new owner to simply move forward with taking full responsibility of any new occuring problems managing it all themselves. On the other hand, having the new owner find mold, combined with a secret or undisclosed history of mold could infuriate them. These are the conditions that keep sellers up at night. Acting with integral actions and consistency in hiring professionals to do the work is part of best practices. In addition, relating this information should also be part of the same consistent values. 

Sleeping with Confidence & Integrity 

Taking responsibility for previous mold issues demonstrates integrity. Ensure potential buyers feel confident by informing them that the mold has been fully remediated and provide evidence of the work done. To go the extra mile, consider offering a complimentary attic and crawl space inspection from a reputable service provider like Attic Health. 

By following these steps and addressing any mold concerns before selling your home, you can provide peace of mind to potential buyers and showcase your property in its best possible condition. Often home sellers are nervous around the topic of mold, be confident it is in the past, and relate this to your potential buyers. One thing this does immediately is remove any worry of current mold contamination!  Remember, open communication and transparency are key when it comes to mold issues and the sale of your home. 

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