Anyone who has ever had to deal with mold in their Long Island house will tell you that what seems like a small problem at first can quickly become a very big deal, especially if you’re trying to sell your house fast. These kinds of concerns exponentially grow larger if you discover that what you actually have is black mold. Mold starts as a microscopic problem, but it can grow into a major issue faster than you expect. And if you’re trying to sell your house on Long Island, you’ve just run into a major roadblock to getting what you want, especially if you’re trying to sell your house fast.
Before you decide to put your house on the open market or sell it to a cash buyer as-is like Leave the Key Homebuyers, you’re going to want to take some steps to determine what you should do next. Here are five steps to take when selling a house with mold in Long Island.
Follow These Steps To Selling A House With Mold
Identify Where The Mold Is
When trying to sell a house with mold on Long Island, the first you need to do is understand and figure out where the mold came from and deep it goes. This process starts with you. When you’re in the house, does your nose get runny, your eyes get sore, and you sneeze a lot? You might have a mold allergy and it might be your body’s way of telling you that you’re surrounded This is especially true if you feel better whenever you leave your house.
The next step is to enter every room in the house and check for a musty smell. Can you detect a damp odor or does the room just feel damp when it shouldn’t? That could be a big warning sign that there’s mold lurking.
Now you want to try to see the mold that you can see, if possible. In order to spot it, look for clusters of small black spots on walls. It could be anywhere, from the living room to the bedroom to the basement. Don’t look in just the obvious places, too. Check crevices, corners, confined spaces, and other places where dampness, wetness, and cold temperatures may have affected the home.
If you find small clusters, you should try to remove them right away. Use protective gloves and goggles, use bleach or ammonia, and seal off each contaminated area to stop the spread. Make sure you clean with water afterward so you’re not leaving chemicals for the family and pets to inhale.
Of course, there may be mold in areas you can’t see, such as inside the walls or under the floors. If you see water stains, discoloration, or warped wallpaper, that could be a warning sign that there’s mold lurking in your home’s dark corners. And that’s going to require deeper cleaning or hiring an expert.
Consider The Causes
You’ve discovered that you have mold and you’ve figured out how to contain the spread. The next step is to fix the issue that is allowing the toxic fungus to flourish inside your Long Island house.
Check any pipes and water sources. A leaky pipe under the sink or in the bathroom can be a big culprit for causing mold to grow. Was there ever a time previously when your house flooded or had puddles of water? Check those places again because it’s possible that mold took root even after you cleaned and dried the spaces.
Next, look for condensation around your windows. If you constantly see build-up on windows and glass, consider a dehumidifier to bring the moisture down. Otherwise, that could become a breeding ground for mold. In fact, any place inside or outside your home where moisture and water collect should be doublechecked to see whether or not mold has started growing.
Get a Mold Inspection
Mold can be a truly overwhelming problem, literally and figuratively, especially if you’re trying to sell your house on Long Island while dealing with it. If you’re not an expert at identifying the sources or getting rid of it, consider hiring a mold inspector. You’re really going to want to hire someone to help you find all of the places and causes. A mold inspection can reveal how infested the home has become and what you can do to prevent further infestation. If mold has taken root in the walls, an inspector can find that out and identify problem areas.
There are mold home kits that you can use but their results are often misleading or just wrong. You’re going to get better results by hiring a professional. Plus, if you’re going to put the home on the market, a mold inspection helps to protect you and the seller because it cuts down on the chance of surprises during the sales process. No buyer wants to be surprised by mold.
How much will it cost to hire someone? That depends on the size of the house and the extent of the infestation. Black mold removal in a basement can range anywhere from $500 to over $3,000. Getting rid of mold in attics or ducts can cost between $2,000 and $6,000. If a house has been flooded and is covered in mold, you could be looking at over $10,000 to eradicate all of it. At a certain point, you’ll have to decide if it’s even worth it to make the fixes yourself or simply sell the house as-is for cash.
Be Honest With Potential Buyers
The key to selling a Long Island house with mold damage, including homes that had mold issues in the past, is to be upfront and honest with any potential buyers. You don’t want someone to agree to buy your house and then they discover during the inspection that there is mold inside. Then they’ll either demand a lower price or cancel the sale altogether out of concerns that you weren’t being honest with them.
Some states require that you disclose mold in a home that is up for sale, but even if that weren’t the case, it’s the correct thing to do. Especially if you consider that a buyer might have health concerns or allergies related to toxic mold. Also, if your buyer is using an FHA loan, they will be sending in appraisers who know what to look for. Lenders may also require a mold assessment to qualify for mortgages, so it’s critical if you want that kind of sale to happen.
Consider Selling As-Is for Cash
The truth is, if there is extensive mold damage in your Long Island home, the headaches may have only just begun. If you did manage to sell a house and the buyer discovers mold, they could end up bringing a lawsuit against you. Even if you fix everything, buyers are likely going to want to see the price come down to compensate for the state of the home and the needed repairs. And your chances of selling fast on the open market are very slim, which means more costs for you.
The alternative is to sell your house as-is to Leave the Key Homebuyers. We’ll buy the house in its current condition, even if it has lots of mold damage, and we’ll pay you cash for it. And if you need to sell fast, we can close in a matter of days, whatever works for you.
Just give us a call or contact us on our website. We’ll reach out to discuss the details and set up an appointment to learn more. Then we’ll make you a fair offer and if you like it we can close on the sale quickly. Then you’ll get cash in your pocket and you won’t have to worry about your mold-infested Long Island house anymore.