Growing up in the Netherlands and living in older homes, mold was something we didn’t think to much about, clean the area thoroughly every so often and that was it… Now I am involved in selling property, I do look a little different at the subject.
Disclosures: when buying or renting in California, it feels like the amount of disclosures are never ending. One of them is the Residential Environmental Hazards booklet. It informs about hazards in and around the home. One of them is mold.
Realize that mold is a hazard but also a friend… How so? Think about that delicious blue cheese… the blue stuff is… mold. And penicillin is made from mold. It is a fungus, in the same family as mushrooms.
But mold can also be an environmental hazard. There are several different types of mold. Black mold is toxic and an environmental hazard. Realize that mold can grow on virtually any organic substance, as long as moisture and oxygen are present. This means if the cause is remedied – lack of ventilation, moisture – and affected area is cleaned, mold will not come back.
When selling property, sellers are recommended to have a “Pest Inspection” done prior to putting the home on the market. At that time items that need correction can be addressed prior to putting the property on the market. Buyers are recommended to also have an inspection done as part of their due diligence. The inspector will always have solutions when problems arise, or will recommend preventive maintenance as needed.
Mirjam
My brother lives in the Netherlands in an old town called Zwartsluis. Walking distance to shops and restaurant, that place is super quiet noise wise, except for a car through the street every once in a while during the day but at night, dead quiet.
. It can enter the home from sources as seemingly innocent as a gas stove, furnace, or wood stove, usually due to leakage, back drafting, or poor venting.
