Inspecting A Property w/Mold in the Basement - What's your Input on this?

Mold can be a tricky issue because people can become ill if there is mold thriving and growing in a home. I guess the best answer would be it depends. In our area a few years ago we had massive rain storms for an entire weekend. The last great consecutive storms were over 100 years ago. Needless to say, a river crested more than 30 feet above it normal height and flooded hundreds of homes. Some homes were so bad they had to be torn down. Others had so much damage and mold issues that they were very expensive to repair.

Thus, what I would suggest is determine your desire on a home by home basis. If there is a little mold on the bottom of a basement wall, that could be caused by an exterior gutter downspout. If you can put an extension on the downspout that could help clear up the problem. The other issue can be the pitch of the dirt, gravel or lawn that borders your home. Sometimes a pitch tha goes away from theh om can help keep water clear from a basement. Another item may be a sump pump or an injection pump that moves water away from the basement area. Thus, depending on the issue and how easy it can be repaired may assit you in an offer or no offer decision.

If you are still not sure, consult an expert. There are mold professionals called mold mitigators that can assist. Good luck with all your deals. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

I agree with what your saying 100%. It is a small water damage in the basement & it does have a water pump there which is about 8-10 years old. I believe it is the gutters causing the water to enter because they do need work done & on the side where the mold shows more is where the gutter is on the ground of the property. I just wanted to get an average price on what it would cost to fix the gutters & take the mold out of the walls, I know bleach does to the trick. The house does have potential & it's in great shape with a few minor repairs needed.

Here's the thing, if I get a mold professional to look at it he will charge for that so how do I go about in doing that w/o having it to come out of my pocket, I don't think the seller would pay for the expenses or for an inspector to come out there, so how would I handle this from your experience. Thanks bud!

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John A.

Try to get the seller to give you a allowance for the repaires Have a contracter come in and give a apraizal on fixing the problem.
Bill

Wouldn't the seller put the allowance as part of the sale after, if he does that & how much should I ask to be in the allowance. Would you know what type of contracter I should look for? Thanks bud!

P.S. this house is a For Sale By Owner so theirs no agent involved.

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John A.

I had an accepted offer on a house contingent on a mold inspection. Prior to my bidding on the house, it had a leak in the swamp cooler and damaged part of the house. The insurance covered all the repairs and it looked great. The initial test started with the house sealed up, doors and windows closed. I obtained permission to check on the property from the outside only to find 2 windows open in the vicinity of both the mold test and radon test. I rejected the test and had a 2nd test run. No problem until I received the test results. The mold level was so high the house should not have been occupied. Get a test done.

Thanks for the info. I will get it tested also, this is done after the work is completed, or the mold is removed, correct? and is the test done by the same contractor this is going to remove the mold.

The property does need new gutters that's part of the problem with the mold.

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John A.

Yes, have the clean-up completed and if you have a good relationship with the contractor, they should be able to test for you. If in doubt, a 2nd test to back up the contractors test may be needed. FYI bleach is no longer an acceptable product for mold cleanup. It will not completely kill the mold and it is poisonous in confined spaces. You may ask to have the other levels of the house tested as a precaution. Once airborne, mold can be circulated through a forced air heating system. I am allergic to mold so I may sound extra cautious. Hope this is helpful.

Hi John,
One minor thing. You mentioned that the house's water pump in the basement is 8-10 years old. My husband and I were at Lowe's last weekend to purchase a backup battery powered sump pump (water pump) to have in case of loss of electricity (about a month ago we had a major storm, people around town lost power for several hours including our neighbors across the street who didn't have a battery back up and their basement flooded as a result).

Anyway, we learned from the person at Lowe's that the average life span of a sump pump is 5-7 years. You may wish to consider the cost of replacing it if you purchase the house. A complete replacement would/should only cost a $200-$300 dollars or so --but you'd need to check at a home store or online to be sure since sump pumps aren't my expertise!

Nancy D.

Nothing wrong about being extra cautious. Does he test the mold on a machine, would he be able to give me the test results on paper? Is the 2nd test done by another contractor or the same one? Thanks for your help.

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John A.

I will consider that since the pump is almost 10 y/o. Is it easy to self put in or do I need to get a plumber for that? Thanks for the advice.....

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John A.

Is the mold coming from the ceiling or the basement floor area,if its the ceiling area then it may be the Gutters,if it coming from the floor you may have a foundation problem allowing ground sepage.You may want to have a contractor evaluate the problem,if the moisture is coming from the floor area and its a foundation problem,it could be costly for repair??? I would get a repair estimate from a license contractor,then talk to the seller about reducing the price they want by the cost of the repair.The problem is going to have to be fixed,did they know about the mold and have an idea how it started. Good luck hope it works out for you.

whurndon

H&H PROPERTY SOLUTIONS LLC

The test is performed with a device that draws in ambient air from the living space and collects airborne particles which are analyzed. This test is run for a specific amount of time. I think 24 hours. Then the collected particles are sent to a lab to be identified and counted (How many particles per million). You should be given a copy of a report generated during the analysis with the final test results. The 2nd test would be a separate, independent contractor. You may want to delay testing for a short period of time after the cleanup if a lot of ventilation was done during the mold removal. The test should be done under normal living conditions.

The mold is coming from the ground of the basement, your right it is a foundation problem where they need to put lots of sand & concreek to fix that problem, all the gutters outside need to be replaced. It's in more than one room in the basement, only one room when the gutter is down is the room where it shows it more the other rooms are small amounts. Do you have any clue how much that would cost, it's all brick around the house. The owner is selling the property as is which I just find out by email today. If it wasn't for those two problems the other repairs are minor & the house is still in good condition on the inside. Thanks chief for your input!

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John A.

So by the time everything is resolved it could be 30 days or more before re-selling the house, is that correct?

Do you have an idea of how much all that would cost, when all said & done

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John A.

Hey John!

According to the man we spoke with at Lowe's, since the sump pump already exists you can replace it yourself. the $200-$300 for the sump pump (assuming you just need to replace the pump and motor) should be relatively easy. Plus you always have the guidance from the guys at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.!

Nancy D.

Sounds good to me. I feel by the time all of my DG family tells me everything here, I'll be a pro with this mold & water pump issue. That's what it's all about we all learning from each other. What a day just going back & forth on this dangerous mold.....I could sure use a drink now

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John A.

Glad I could provide a little bit of help. It's so funny because if I hadn't gone with my husband to Lowe's that day I would NEVER have known any of that info. about the sump pump. So glad I could pass that knowledge along. It's not everyday I can work "sump pump" into a conversation!

You are really get an educaton on mold and water damage (and us right along with you!). That's what I love about this site. So much to learn!!!

All the best,
Nancy D.

I check with a local contractor and they said it would take up to 5 days for the test including the report and run about $400.00 for 4 samples. The test and mold cleanup will only fix a symptom. You will need to get to the root cause of the mold problem. The other issues addressed in prior posts about replacing the sump pump and gutters are very important fixes to symptoms and should be addressed. The main issue or root cause is still the foundation, also addressed in a prior post. There are a number of things you can inspect yourself before you bring in a contractor to look at the problem. Even if the gutters are replaced, the landscape around the perimeter of the house needs to slope away from the foundation. If rain run off is allowed to travel to the foundation it will increase the possibility of infiltration. Are there or were there any trees in the yard that roots could have damaged the foundation? Are all the exterior basement walls exposed for inspection? Finished basement walls can conceal cracks in the foundation. Most basements have minor cracks, larger cracks and misalignment may indicate foundation movement. Are there window wells that could trap water? Is there a driveway next to the house that may pitch toward the house? These are some of the things you can look at, then talk to a contractor. Have him check soil conditions around the foundation and verify there is a functioning drain system around the basement. If the drain is blocked with sediment, it will not carry the water to the sump pump. If the basement needs to be excavated to put in a new drain system, that could get into a lot of added expense. I am not trying to scare you away from the deal, just be prepared so you have no surprises if you proceed. Get worst case repair costs and run the numbers to see if you will stay within your budget so you will profit from the deal. I am sure there are other aspects to look at that I have not address, but this should keep you moving forward. Keep us posted.

There's no trees around the house, the driveway isn't on the side of the house, there's a car garage & I know the gutters need to be replaced they way they look. I will look into the other stuff you mention to make sure the pipes aren't covered with sediment. This house has been vacant for over a year & he said the pipes have been closed during the whole time including in the winter. He's asking for $165,000 but from what I can see I would have to bring the offer down quite a bit since I would have to fix the problems with the investors money, I'm doing a no money down strategy on this house if I end up getting it. Thanks again to for your wise info, it helps me out allot.

I'll keep you all posted.......

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John A.

Hi John A

I am a certified Residential Real Estate appraiser and have had to deal with these issues before. Here in Ct. the home inspectors generally will be the ones to do the testing, but be sure to get someone who is an expert on mold.
I have to take continuing ed classes as an appraiser and took a class on mold. It can be very tricky to find it all and even trickier to get rid of. It can stay dormant for years (you dont necessarily see the spores, not always visible) when the conditions are right, moisture, a little heat (not much) and a food source, dry wall, wood etc, it can start to grow again. It can also hid in behind dry wall inside the walls where you cant even see it.
I would get an expert to test for it, and get an estimate to mitigate the mold and go to the homeowners and present them with the report and estimate and see if they can go lower still on the price.

Good luck

Sue

Glad to know that your from CT, that's my home town & my family still lives there so I go there every now & then, I grew up in the Hartford area & my folks live in Newington. I am looking into finding an expert on molds, looks like this mold issue will cost over $700 if not more by the time it's taken care of the right way. Sue, you might have an idea since you been doing RE & taken classes on mold, would you have a clue on the total cost?

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John A.

Greetings John:

The mold issue may be a small deterent, if its in the basement. Since the basement is the lowest point in the house and water seeps to a water table. The most logical view here, is a drainage problem. Start with gutters, drainage piping, foundation.
Look outside look inside.
How about LEAD PAINT on the woodwork, or walls? Most older homes have tons. If its peeling young ones(kids) try to eat eyerything in site. Scrape and repaint or wallpaper.
How about ASBESTOS SIDING? or asbestos insulation on pipes. Now you may have a nightmare. You can't take it off without a licensed team. It has to go to a special land fill with your name on it forever.
How about Radon Gas? Fixable, cash required.
Most people get so exicited about there first deal they forget to have the property inspected, if qualified inspect it yourself. The house you are looking at may be your first or maybe your last. Take your time and make sure all the t's are crossed and all the i's are dotted and don't waste your time.
BE careful and smart.

Andre S.

Thanks for the advice. Like Dean mentions in his book "Profit From Real Estate Right Now!" Home Warranty Plan - Discuss with the seller the option of purchasing a Home Warranty for the buyer, which costs about $350 & covers the buyer up to a year if something happens. The cost for a home inspection is generally about $250 to $450, depending on the size of the house and amenities. I will ask the seller to do an inspection on the property, and without an inspection, they could lose a good deal. Pest Inspection & Lead Paint like you mention should be inspections that should be covered when buying the house. Like Dean says most sellers will not agree with it because it's coming out of their pocket so we just have to convince them other wise to get the house sold. These are important items will always address to the seller.

Now there is an exception I believe with this other seller that I'm dealing with where I have to do a "Short Sale" because he owes payments on his house & wants to sell it right away. To be more detail about it, he owes $198,000 the FMV is $152,000 so he would have to cut a lost if he wants to get out of paying his mortgage so for that he wouldn't be able to do an inspection to come out of his pocket because he's unemployed so he has no money. The house is in great condition so I plan on doing an "Assignment Contract" & just get a $10,000 in my pocket. I did ask, he doesn't want to rent it so I guess there's no other choice on his part.

What you think about this one......

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John A.