Mold
Mold... Ugh! Sometimes I find myself showing foreclosed properties. A lot of those properties are in a state of distress, and have black mold on the basement walls. Some of the spots are very large in diameter, the size of a grapefruit or even larger, the size of a basketball. Generally the properties with mold have had the electricity turned off, the water lines have been drained, the plumbing winterized, and the heat turned off. With no dehumidifier to control the dampness in the basement, an environment that encourages mold growth is present.
For some reason, many first time buyers seem to have watched too many TV shows, and believe they are going to make a killing by buying foreclosures. The plan is apparently to buy these distressed properties for literally pennies on the dollar. The second part of the plan is to fix the properties up with a little paint, and then to sell them at a handsome profit. Good plan! (Was it Shakespeare who said "The best laid plans of mice and men.....")?
Thank the Lord for the fact that women and children are much more sensitive to the sickening smell of even a light amount of mold. Why? As it turns out, the men have dollar signs in their eyes, and somehow the hopefulness of a quick and tidy profit seems to negate their sense of smell. After a few minutes, (sometimes even seconds) in the basements of these houses, the wives are generally telling the husbands "We're NOT going to buy THIS house". End of showing appointment, let's lock up and get out of here pronto!. (I like their thinking, as it saves MY own health. There have been afternoons when the smell of mold would linger in my sinuses for hours after leaving the property. It can be nauseating to say the least.)
Not all molds are black. Not all molds are as sickening and hazardous to our health. Every property has mold. Mold spores are here, there, everywhere, and are waiting for conditions to be just right to allow the mold to grow.
I remember when my daughter had a science class homework project for school. It went like this, and you can try it yourself for an eye opening experiment: Take two slices of fresh bread. Lightly drag one of the slices over the top of the refrigerator, enabling it to collect whatever dust is there at the moment. Place that slice on the kitchen counter, "dust side" up. Place the other clean slice of bread about six inches away from the "dusty" slice. Allow them sit undisturbed for 2 to 3 days and observe what happens. Ugh!
Here are some GREAT reading resources about mold:
http://www.realtor.org/LibWeb.nsf/pages/fg711
Do you have any experiences to share with our readers about mold? I would appreciate hearing about them in our "Comments" section. Or by private email.
JDvorovy@CutlerHomes.com
Your private email to me will be kept strictly confidential, your email address will not be shared, nor cause spam to be generated back to you.
Thanks,
Best regards,
Jim Dvorovy
For some reason, many first time buyers seem to have watched too many TV shows, and believe they are going to make a killing by buying foreclosures. The plan is apparently to buy these distressed properties for literally pennies on the dollar. The second part of the plan is to fix the properties up with a little paint, and then to sell them at a handsome profit. Good plan! (Was it Shakespeare who said "The best laid plans of mice and men.....")?
Thank the Lord for the fact that women and children are much more sensitive to the sickening smell of even a light amount of mold. Why? As it turns out, the men have dollar signs in their eyes, and somehow the hopefulness of a quick and tidy profit seems to negate their sense of smell. After a few minutes, (sometimes even seconds) in the basements of these houses, the wives are generally telling the husbands "We're NOT going to buy THIS house". End of showing appointment, let's lock up and get out of here pronto!. (I like their thinking, as it saves MY own health. There have been afternoons when the smell of mold would linger in my sinuses for hours after leaving the property. It can be nauseating to say the least.)
Not all molds are black. Not all molds are as sickening and hazardous to our health. Every property has mold. Mold spores are here, there, everywhere, and are waiting for conditions to be just right to allow the mold to grow.
I remember when my daughter had a science class homework project for school. It went like this, and you can try it yourself for an eye opening experiment: Take two slices of fresh bread. Lightly drag one of the slices over the top of the refrigerator, enabling it to collect whatever dust is there at the moment. Place that slice on the kitchen counter, "dust side" up. Place the other clean slice of bread about six inches away from the "dusty" slice. Allow them sit undisturbed for 2 to 3 days and observe what happens. Ugh!
Here are some GREAT reading resources about mold:
http://www.realtor.org/LibWeb.nsf/pages/fg711
Do you have any experiences to share with our readers about mold? I would appreciate hearing about them in our "Comments" section. Or by private email.
JDvorovy@CutlerHomes.com
Your private email to me will be kept strictly confidential, your email address will not be shared, nor cause spam to be generated back to you.
Thanks,
Best regards,
Jim Dvorovy
posted by Jim Dvorovy at 10:13 PM
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