The presence of mold, black spots on your kitchen walls, bathrooms, or basement can be worrying. There's a high chance that it's mold. Although they might be microbial in size, they can wreak havoc on your home if left untreated. 

Mold growth can also be a big problem if you're looking to put your house on the market. Nothing will scare buyers away from purchasing their dream home more than a musty smell and signs of mold growth. 

Whether you're a homeowner looking to keep their house in tip-top shape or you're trying to sell your house in the recent future, knowing how to deal with mold and how to prevent their growth is something everyone should learn about.  

A good scrub with some mild soap won't be enough to get rid of mold. This remedy might work on hard surfaces but not on porous ones. In this article, we're going to discuss what mold is, the dangers of mold, how it affects the sale of your home, and how you can prevent mold growth. 

What is Mold?

Mold is diverse. They come in various shapes and sizes and are defined as microorganisms in the fungi kingdom. They come from the same family of mushrooms and yeast. However, unlike yeast in our bread and baked goods, mold is not edible. Consuming them can make you ill.

Mold can spread incredibly quickly, and they're invisible to the naked eye due to their small sizes. A mold spore is only around 10 microns long, and it's impossible to keep them from entering your home.  

Main Cause of Mold Growth

Even though mold spores are all around us, they don't randomly grow and stain your walls. It takes three things for mold to grow and become a problem— material to grow on, warmth, and moisture. 

Most cases of mold growth come from the presence of moisture such as leaks, damp spots in the home, high humidity, or water damage. Mold needs little help to grow. A little bit of water and some warmth will surely help them thrive.  

Effects of Mold

Mold can be damaging to a home, which is why many buyers tend to steer clear of homes with mold. Although they might seem trivial, mold growth can cause extensive damage if not taken care of properly.  

Reduced Air Quality

Mold and mold spores can reduce the air quality inside your home, which is never a good thing. It can bring a variety of issues for you and your family. For example, it can cause respiratory problems, mold sensitivity, and severe chronic conditions. 

For homeowners with existing lung conditions, living in a home filled with mold can cause them to experience a decrease in health and might result in fatalities. Mold exposure can also cause asthma, respiratory illnesses, or other health risks in children who have no health conditions. 

Rotting Wood

Mold can't cause wood to deteriorate, but it can be a pain to remove. If your home is made of wood or a majority of your home is wooden, it can be a big problem in the future. If you spot mold on wooden surfaces, expect it to rot, and chances are, you might have to go through a tedious process to remediate it.  

Structural Damage

Although mold won't cause your house to fall apart instantly, rotting frames or structures can reduce your home's durability. If you don't get to the bottom of the mold growth, you'll need to keep replacing the rotting frames or walls. Once it becomes severe enough, it can be impossible to fix.  

How Mold Issues Affects the Sale of a Home

Selling a house with mold growth is something you should never take lightly. Most buyers will lose interest when the first mention of mold is made. The reality is, no one should have to purchase a home with mold. If mold is suspected, the real estate agent should immediately encourage the home seller to perform a mold inspection. It is also imperative that any mold known or found in an inspection must be disclosed to the new owner. 

Although mold growth varies in size and severity and might not pose a threat unless they are found in large amounts, it can scare away buyers and ultimately affect the sale of a home. Here are three ways mold growth can affect a home's sale. 

Lack of Interest

The first mention of mold will surely scare away buyers, especially if they come across it themselves. The sight of mold is unsightly, and everyone knows the dangers they bring to a home. When mold growth is present, it can affect the sale of a home and chase away potential buyers.  

A Drop in the Price

If a buyer is still interested in your home after discovering that mold is present, they'll likely want to pay well below the asking price. The price reduction depends on how severe the mold infestation is, but you might have to lower your price expectations. Discovering mold in a home is enough to scare away buyers, even if you agree to handle the problem.  

Potential Lawsuits

Lastly, if a home buyer discovers mold growth after purchasing your home, there's a high probability that they will come after you with a lawsuit. It doesn't matter if you knew about the problem or failed to mention it, the buyer can turn to the law, and you'll have to face the consequences.  

Prevention Tips

Before you make the mistake of selling your potentially mold-infested home, please take action today and address potential mold problems before it's too late.

There's no ultimate way to prevent mold spores from entering your home, but you can control them from growing inside your home. So, instead of focusing on keeping them out, focus on making mold growth unwelcome in your home with these tips.

Eliminate Moisture

We've mentioned previously in the article that mold thrives on moisture and warmth. So, the first thing you should do when dealing with mold growth is to eliminate the source of water. This can come in various forms, such as leaky pipes or cracks on your walls. Whichever it is, try your best to get it repaired as soon as you can. 

Stay Dry

Once you've eliminated the sources of moisture, focus on keeping your home dry. You can keep your home dry by making sure all items in your home are properly dried, all rooms in your home are free from damp spots, and humidity in your home is relatively low. To keep humidity levels down in tropical or hot climates, consider using air conditioners or dehumidifiers. Make sure that you do not have any leaky pipes even if it's only a few drops.  Any type of moisture can cause mold.

Inspect Regularly

One of the most effective ways to prevent mold growth from getting severe is by detecting it early on. So, make time to walk around your home and observe any signs of damage, such as leaks or cracks. You might not fix everything up yourself, so call a professional if you need extra help.

The Bottom Line

Mold growth can cause a lot of problems for homeowners. The effects of mold make it hard for any seller to put their house on the market. Buyers are also reluctant to purchase a home if it has been infested with mold. When the house inspection finds mold, whether it's toxic mold or not, you should always perform mold remediation.

Due to this, every homeowner needs to tackle any mold growth as soon as possible and take preventative measures to ensure that mold growth doesn't become a severe problem. 

If you're unsure or in doubt about mold growth in your home, professional mold specialists are ready and available to help you figure out what steps to take and what you can do to prevent mold spores from growing in your house. 

Please don't be reluctant in handling mold growth, and don't ignore it. Addressing it early on and remediating it before your house goes on the market will guarantee you some peace of mind and maximum profit.

Additional real estate resources

Paul Sian –  Learn about property disclosures and what buyers should be reviewing on them.  (Spoiler alert… Mold is on the top of the list)

Kevin Vitali – You have to pay closing costs on top of the purchase price when buying a home.  Find out help buyers can save on closing costs and there will be less money out of pocket for you.

Bill Gassett – when buying a home you may come across properties with mold.  There are a lot of things that you need to know about mold in a home.  It‘s important to do your research and make sure you can have a safe house to live in.