Selling a house with mold can be challenging, but it’s possible. Many potential buyers may be wary of mold issues, due to mold causing health problems and the money it would take to remove the mold. Some people may walk away from a house that has mold. With others, negotiations may greatly impact the sale price of your house.
Let’s take a look at what causes mold, the dangers it presents, how to get rid of it, and how to sell a house with mold issues.
What causes a mold problem in a house?
Moisture creates an ideal environment for mold and mildew to grow. The dampness can come from a variety of issues, including:
- Atlanta weather: Atlanta’s weather is notoriously humid, especially in the summer. Heat and rain as well as storms and flooding contribute to making the perfect conditions for mold to grow in your house, especially if your house isn’t properly ventilated.
- High indoor humidity levels: Aside from weather, other issues can cause dampness in your home. Leaving water standing under pots of houseplants, running a humidifier, unvented dryers, steam in bathrooms, and condensation in kitchens all make for ideal mold conditions.
- Basements: Since basements are partially or totally underground, water from rain or sprinklers can seep from the soil through the walls and have nowhere to go but inside your house. Moisture can also accumulate due to leaking water pipes in the walls. In summer, opening basement windows means hot, humid air flowing into the basement. Since basements are cool, when the warm air meets the cool air, condensation occurs.
- Clogged gutters and downspouts: When rainwater runs off the roof of a house without the guidance of gutters and downspouts, it may flow down the exterior of your house and settle right next to your foundation. It can then seep into your foundation walls and create a damp area that is favorable to mold growth.
Health problems from mold in the house
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Indoor mold can be hazardous to your health, potentially causing allergic reactions, respiratory issues, and other serious health concerns.” Some of the symptoms may include:
- Runny nose
- Headaches
- Watery eyes
- Skin irritation
- Sneezing
- Asthma attacks
- Lung infections
- Sore throat
- Wheezing
What can you do about mold in your Atlanta home?
If your mold problem is extensive (an area larger than a bathtub) or if you have chronic respiratory problems, are immunocompromised, or have allergies, you may want to hire a mold abatement company. According to HomeBlue, “Mold remediation cost in Atlanta, Georgia ranges from $10 to $19 per square foot.”
If you want to tackle the problem yourself, be certain that you’ve solved your moisture problem at its source before you begin and that you’ve thoroughly dried out the area.
- It’s highly recommended to use a respirator, dress in old clothes and shoes that can be discarded, and wear goggles and rubber gloves.
- When work is about to begin, open windows and doors but don’t use a fan to circulate air. Tape plastic around the moldy area to contain it while working.
- Discard all infected material in a plastic garbage bag. This includes drywall, curtains, carpeting, and anything else that is removable.
- Scrub the area thoroughly with a stiff brush, using only strong detergent and hot water.
- Thoroughly dry the area again.
Selling a house with a mold issue
Although Georgia doesn’t require a formal disclosure statement when selling a house, it’s important that the homeowner tells a potential buyer about a mold issue, even if it has been remediated. If the mold issue is ongoing, and sometimes even if the mold has been removed, a buyer may want concessions. If you’d rather not deal with your mold issue yourself, consider selling your house to the off-market house buyer in Atlanta that people can trust: We Buy Ugly Houses®.
We buy houses “as is,” meaning that we purchase homes in all sorts of conditions, even houses with mold issues, code violations, or leaking roofs. We provide a customer-oriented process that is speedy and convenient, with support during the entire transaction from start to finish. Don’t take our word for it though: Our sellers give us great reviews.
Just contact us to make an appointment for a free, no-obligation consultation at your house. One of our friendly Atlanta property buyers will visit you, take a tour of your house, and answer your questions. We can sometimes give you an offer on the same day. If you accept our offer, we can potentially close in as little as 3 weeks, but if you need more time, we’ll do our best to accommodate your schedule.
Contact us today to find out more about how easy and convenient it is to sell your house to We Buy Ugly Houses.
This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.
