My SO and I are within 3 weeks of closing on a new house. The house has been empty for 18 months, but looks to be in good shape. During the inspection last week, the inspector noticed some water dripping into the basement. We notified the current owners. They had someone come out and look, and tell us that they think it’s a continuation of some water problems they had 6 months ago.
Wait a minute! I read through the disclosure. It doesn’t say anything about water damage. Then I looked again. The disclosure was filled out when the house first went on the market, 18 months ago. They never updated it. Gah!
The current owners faxed over a copy of the documents from the clean up. The water damage was the result of someone removing 1 or more downspouts, and with no one in the house. Water got into the basement and it sat wet for quite a while. Their insurance covered the clean up and I’ve got a copy of the detailed work order/ bill from it. Every room in the whole house had to be cleaned. Even the bedrooms, on the top floor of the 4 level split. Every room has entries for Hepa vacuuming, antimicrobial cleaning and duct cleaning. Floors, ceiling and walls.
So the question. How good is professional cleaning like this? If they scrubbed surfaces and clean ducts, how likely is it that the house has mildew growing in the walls or above the ceiling?
I don’t know about the mold issue, but I’d be concerned.
The fact they didn’t mention it in the disclosure makes them liable if you find problems after closing. Now that they’ve told you and handed the paperwork over, that may change… as your realtor or a lawyer.
But if I were you, I’d get a contingency IN WRITING that if mold is found within a certain amt of time, that you’d assume it was due to the water damage and they’d be responsible for all repair costs. It’s a buyer’s market. If they don’t want to take the responsibility for the water damage – especially after they hid it from you and your inspector ALREADY found problems – then I wouldn’t buy the house personally.
Either that, or have them pay (or split the costs) for a mold check now with a professional of your choice. You hire them, you guys split the price 50-50. Figure this out now BEFORE you close.
I would assume this is a real problem. First, that level of cleaning is excessive unless there was mold in the air. Where did the mold come from? Someone knows, they spent a lot of money cleaning it up. But it may be cleaned up. You may be in fine shape. The concern however is if the insulated walls got wet. I would open up the walls near where you believe the water was and just look. It isn’t that bad, especially if the house is empty. You can take down the bottom of a sheetrock wall in a few minutes with a hammer and some gloves. Depending on how many feet of wall you need to inspect will, in my mind, determine whether you take out the bottom 4 feet or just a foot long strip. The bottom 4 feet is actually easier, you can replace it with a full sheet of rock, and the floating is easier. But if you only need to look at a couple of feet, it is probably better to just cut out some along the bottom and patch it. A flashlight for the inspection and you are done. Replacing the sheetrock is more time consuming, you or a contractor can put it up in minutes, floating and painting takes a few days. But it isn’t that hard and you will know for sure whether you have a problem. Of course if you find mold in the wall, it becomes a bigger job. Of course if the wall is a bacement wall, the procedure is different. I have no experience there.