The real estate market in Toronto is still very hot, with more buyers than sellers for houses in the area. This may get you thinking about selling your own home to cash out while you can. Before you list your home for sale, if you suspect a mould problem in your house, it is prudent to take care of that before you have buyers walking away from what could be a relatively easy fix. If you don’t think mould is a problem for prospective buyers, read on!
Mould is Ugly and it Smells Bad
If there is a mould problem in your house, you can try to clean it up yourself and hope for the best. You better hope you do a good job and stay on top of it, because when mould has just been cleaned up without addressing the underlying cause it tends to come back very quickly. You may be able to take care of it well enough to get through a single showing or even a weekend open house. However, the smell of mould is pervasive, and anything you do to cover it up will tip off a prospective buyer or their agent to a problem. Your whitewashing may even get you all the way through to an offer to purchase, but the trained eyes and nose of a home inspector will uncover your dirty little mould secret.
You Don’t Know if it is Harmless or Dangerous
If you ask the average homeowner if the mould in their house is dangerous, it’s likely the answer you get will be “No” or “I don’t know.” If you’re OK with that while living in the house, that’s up to you. But someone hoping to buy that house will probably not just take your word for it. Think about it: The average price of a house in the Greater Toronto Area is now over half a million dollars. If you were about to invest that kind of money in a property and you learned there was a potential health hazard in the house, would YOU just hope for the best? Of course not!
Nobody likes surprises when they’re buying a home. If you do suspect a mould problem in your house, it’s in your best interest to take care of it before you list your home for sale. Hiring a professional mould removal company can help make sure that a deal to purchase your house doesn’t fall through when mould is discovered. If the underlying cause of the mould is something more serious, like previous flood damage, an environmental remediation company can help you identify the problem and address it the right way.
Taking the time to safely address a problem with mould in your home when you’re planning to sell it can ensure that you get the most of out of your investment in your home. When it comes to mould removal, a little peace of mind goes a long way!
Image courtesy of jannoon028 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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