How water damage can kill your home’s value and prevent a sale

If your South Florida home has suffered mold or water damage, immediate removal is a must.

A water damaged home will cost the homeowner big bucks once a home inspector finds that water damage has compromised the home. A water damaged home can show signs of mold,  structural issues such as rotting wood, sagging beams and more.  The key to avoiding a financial loss is to contact a water damage and mold removal company at the first sign of water or mold damage.  At Get Dry, Inc. there is no charge to have us inspect your home and offer solutions,  We are based in South Florida and cover the following areas:  Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Greenacres, Palm Beach, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Plantation, Fort Lauderdale, and all of Palm Beach County, Martin County and Broward County.  One call to us at (561) 777-2618 could save the value of your home.

When it comes to home sales one of the biggest concerns buyers have, is finding major problems after they have purchased their new house or property.  After the sale many home sellers are afraid that the purchaser may contact them with problems they found after the closing.  Sometimes a problem found after the closing is the responsibility of the seller, other times it’s up to the home buyer to remedy the problem.  Either way, it’s no fun to have home damage issues between the buyer and seller after the sale is made.

Movies such as The Money Pit, Life as a house, and Mr. Blandings builds his dream home are all entertaining and funny, however no one wants to live the reality portrayed in the movies.  There is also a documentary movie named Moldy.  The movie starts with a several people talking about the decline of their health.  They complained about feeling fatigued, nauseous and having brain fog. The truth is, poisoning from mold results in a collection of symptoms. This is way doctors have such a difficult time diagnosing mold poisoning.  The movie then gives an on going list of symptoms related to mold poisoning; it’s a very long list.  One of the most disturbing aspects of mold exposure is the decline of brain function.  Did you know that alcohol is a by-product of mold growth?  Just like alcohol, mold poisoning has the same sort of effects and many more on the brain.  The difference is that when someone consumes alcohol it’s usually intentional, with mold poisoning the person has no idea their brain chemistry is being altered.

 Every new South Florida homebuyer should be cautious when purchasing a new home

 No homebuyer wants to purchase a home only to find hidden water damage or mold issues.  This explains why homebuyers insist on a home inspection before closing.  If your home has suffered water damage, it critical that you have a mold remediation company restore you home.  Once a home inspector finds signs of mold or water damage your position of a home seller is massively reduced.  In addition the inspectors report can reduce your home value as determined by the property appraiser.

A construction plague hits South Florida and creates a home value disaster. 

Several years ago in South Florida, some new homes were constructed with a discounted drywall imported from China.  After several years this drywall started to emit a toxic gas similar to mold spores.  The walls of homes that had this drywall installed started to grow black spots, very similar to black mold.  The only solution was to remove all the drywall and the homes air conditioning systems.  Within a few months home inspectors became experts in Chinese Drywall. Home sales were canceled because inexperienced inspectors saw a black mark on a wall, or a piece of back dirt on an air conditioning coil and assumed it was Chinese drywall. Naturally, the very second a potential home buyer heard the word Chinese drywall the sale was canceled.  This situation went on for several years.  This same situation plays out with home water damage and mold issues.  If a potential home buyer hears the word mold, used to describe a home issue, you can bet that home sale is over.  While home appraisers and home inspectors are not the same, it’s easy to follow that a water or mold damaged home will appraise for less if the home has signs of water and mold damage.

 A prominent Palm Beach County real estate wrote an article on home inspectors vs home appraisers.  You can read her article here:

What’s the Difference between an Appraisal and a Home Inspection? by Lisa Punsky

How a South Florida home turned into a $40,000 money pit as a result of mold and water damage.

In a recently published article a South Florida homebuyer purchased a home that had a finished basement.  After several days they noticed that rainwater would enter the basement during every heavy rainstorm.  When the homebuyer pressed the home inspector for an answer he was told, he couldn’t have known about the water damage because it was not visible when he was there.  As a water damage and mold removal company we certainly would have found this issue.   The sellers were house flippers who did not disclose the home problem and are not accepting responsibility.  According  to the home owner, the cost for legal fees are going to cost over $10,000 and the home repairs about $30,000.  Had the original homeowner hired a professional water damage and mold removal company this situation could have been avoided.  In addition the home buyer could have hired a mold and water damage removal company like ours to inspect his potential purchase before buying and loosing all that money.

There is no reason why a home buyer shouldn’t reach out to a mold expert before purchasing a new home.  At Get Dry, Inc. we offer free home inspections.  If you are located in Palm Beach, Broward, or Martin county then call us at (561) 777-2618

If you own a home and have water damage you should consider the following. 

Mold and water damage that is not removed properly can drastically alter your homes appearance by leaving spotting and marks on your homes ceilings, floors and walls.  As a home occupant spending countless hours living in a mold damaged home, these mold and water damage signs often go unnoticed, however, a mold inspector could spot the damage.  This may lower your homes value.

Once a potential homebuyer learns that a home was infested with mold or water damage they may also decide it’s not a healthy place to live.    This fear may be completely unfounded, especially if a professional mold remediation company handles the problem, however you can’t prevent people from being afraid.   The bottom line is, you don’t want anyone even thinking about mold damage.

What is most important is to have the water damage or mold removed immediately.  The more time that mold is allowed to grow, the more difficult it’s going to be to remove.  Mold is a living organism that eats the sugars in the wood and paper based parts of your home.  Today most new construction consists of wood or paper based products, drywall or sheetrock is made of cardboard and gypsum, while gypsum doesn’t support mold growth the cardboard certainly does.  Once the cardboard gets moist mold will grow quickly.  As a matter of fact, it only takes 24 to 48 hours for mold to start growing on wet or moist drywall.

With water damage, a relatively small problem could grow into a huge problem.

When water damage occurs it’s usually the result of some sort of water leak such as a broken pipe, damaged roof, appliance breakage, or a window seal that has become degraded over time.   Another source of mold could be your homes air conditioning.   A house or business air conditioning system has the potential of create mold in several ways, it could be leaking runoff water or a cooing unit creating moisture.  However, a homes air conditioning unit could also be a big mold preventer.  A homes a/c system takes the moisture out of the air and releases the moisture outside the home.   What is most important is that the moisture is not inside the walls of your home.  As a South Florida water damage or mold removal expert, it’s our job to remove your properties water damage, and also determine the source.  We will also make sure the area is properly ventilated so that there is enough airflow to prevent future mold growth.

The bottom line when it comes to water damage and mold growth.

Once water damage occurs, reaching out for help from a professional water damage or mold removal company is the best decision a homeowner can make.  There are plenty of cases in which a homeowner has tried to remove the water or mold themselves as a way to save money.  While this may seem like an easy DIY project, keep in mind the following.  Mold is excellent at hiding.  A little water or moisture behind a wall or under a cabinet can remain unnoticed for a very long time.  Once the mold starts growing, it’s going to spread faster and faster.  Sometimes residents have no idea that they have a mold problem until they start to become ill.  By the time this happens the repair costs have skyrocketed.  The best way to preserve the value of your home and save money in the long run is to call a professional water damage and mold removal expert at the first sign of water damage.