Can Mold Affect the Value of Your Home?

September 7, 2017 7:44 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Mold is a common household nuisance, especially in damp climates, such as that of the Pacific Northwest. Understanding how long-term mold growth can damage your home and alter its value is an important part of determining how you will go about performing mold remediation in Portland, OR. It may be surprising to some property owners that allowing mold to grow unchecked can seriously alter the ultimate selling price of your house or other building.

Mold is a type of fungus that feeds off of cellulose, dirt and other materials to produce reproductive spores. It’s well known that mold can adversely affect both residents’ health and a building’s aesthetic. Here are just some of the ways that extensive mold damage can reduce your home’s value:

  • Cosmetic damage: The most obvious problem associated with mold growth is the cosmetic damage that it can cause to your carpeting, walls and tile grout. Different types of mold thrive on different environments, and frequently leave permanent or difficult-to-remove stains.
  • Mold disclosure: Some states, including Oregon, legally require property sellers to disclose the presence of mold and mold damage in the home that they are putting on the market. If the seller didn’t properly disclose the presence of mold, they buyer may be able to rescind the sale, and could even pursue a civil suit against the seller.
  • Structural damage: Oftentimes, mold leaves long-lasting physical damage to the structural and cosmetic components of a home that it is fastened to. Most molds feast on cellulose, which is what wood, drywall and wallpaper are all composed of. Long-term mold exposure means that the mold may have been able to eat holes in your wallpaper or drywall, or even worse, compromise the integrity of the building’s supporting wood beams.
  • Underlying problems: Mold is often indicative of other, underlying problems that will need to be fixed. Leaky pipes, poor ventilation and poorly maintained construction materials all facilitate mold growth. Through the process of mold remediation in Portland, OR, however, you will be able to identify and address the cause of your property’s mold growth.
  • Health effects: It is widely known that mold causes severe allergic and neurological reactions in people who suffer from long-term exposure. A history of mold growth in your home is likely to deter families with children, buyers with sensitive respiratory tracts and other prospective buyers.

The Portland area’s housing market is notoriously hot, but long-term mold damage can seriously affect your home’s ultimate value. Don’t delay in hiring a qualified mold remediation specialist to help you prepare your building for sale. Showing your home prior to employing mold remediation procedures could be disastrous.

Since 2006, Active Mold Control LLC has been one of the premier providers of mold remediation in Portland, OR. To learn more about the options for mold testing, mold removal and mold remediation that we offer, reach out to one of our friendly professionals. We are here to help you maximize your home’s or apartment building’s fullest real estate potential!

Categorised in:

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *