Mold Testing When Buying A Home In Los Angeles

Here at the Twin Home Experts, we’ve performed over 2,400 home inspections over our 30 years. We’ve done them for home sellers, home buyers, listing agents and real estate agents.

One of the most common questions we get from buyers is “Should I perform a mold test as part of my home inspection?”

Sellers often reach out to us because they want to test for mold, to get their home ready to put on the market.

Were going to cover this topic in today’s post and answer questions we’ve received directly from our clients.

We recommend allowing the general home inspector perform his inspection first. A good inspector will initiate any suspect areas, and note it on the report.

But, if your a person who has, or have a family member with, a compromised immune system then it wouldn’t hurt – particularly if your purchasing a home that was built earlier than 1970.

Depending on where he found the suspect mold growth or staining, hiring a Los Angeles mold inspector & testing company would be the next step.

From the inspection, the mold professional will provide the best options to determine if the mold is present, alive and growing by doing a swab analysis or mold air test. During the inspection, moisture readings are also going to be important.

This really depends on where the testing needs to be performed – attic, crawl space, HVAC, etc. The number of samples that need to be taken also plays a role in pricing.

Here at the Twin Home Experts, we charge $89 for a swab sample, $289 for air samples, with $40.00 per sample thereafter.

Mold inspections are only good to a certain point. A mold professional really relies on a mold lab to provide the results to relay to the client.

Even with 30 years of experience, we can’t tell what species of mold, how much contamination, if it’s airborne, how far it’s migrated, all the necessary information to help with making the right decisions for your health and property.

Mold inspections can cost anywhere from $125-$550 sometimes including some tests.

This depends on how many locations are being inspected & tested. On average, the time on site can take up to 1 hour.

The results from the mold lab and providing full report can take around 24-48 hours.

This really depends on the agents representing the deal. Most often the one purchasing the home is paying for all the inspections.

These inspections, will result in the negotiations at the end of the inspection contingency.

Basement and crawl space mold is typically due to a past water leak caused by a drain leak, fresh water leak, water intrusion from rain etc. The cost will depend on how far the mold has spread and what the source is.

If it was drain water, then antimicrobial and anti-bacterial will need to be applied. That investment can range from $1,200- $9,800.

If it was fresh water leak, that can range from $950-$7,400, for an estimated area of 800 sq. feet.

This is a question we get often. If there was a water leak inside of a wall, then most certainly that should be addressed and mitigated properly.

However, we believe testing inside walls to determine if there is mold or not is an improper way to test for mold. Testing inside of a wall is an uncontrolled environment.

We strongly believe it is key to focus on the breathing space, which is obviously inside the four walls. We certainly do not like to waste our clients money performing in-wall mold tests.

If the home you’re considering buying was positive for mold, then you just have to ask yourself and consider a few things.

1. Do you really love the home?
2. What type of deal are you getting?
3. Is the seller going to credit you the removal & reconstruction cost?

Wherever you’re buying your home in Los Angeles, you’re going to find a mold inspection and testing company.

What we recommend first is to ask your real estate agent if they have one that they use regularly.  Real estate agents referrals provide you a bit more protection because of an established working relationship. If something should go wrong, then you have your real estate agent helping you.

The one thing to consider for the purpose of buying a home, is to make sure you get the right mold inspection and testing company that actually writes out a detailed protocol to remove the mold. This is very important in the event you need to get estimates right away, during your tight inspection contingency period.

If your real estate agent does not have a recommendation, then go to Google and type in the key words:

1. Mold testing companies near me
2. Mold testing and inspection companies in Los Angeles, CA
3. Yelp mold testing and inspection in the city you’re buying your home

Or just call the Twin Home Experts, we service all of the greater Los Angeles area for your mold inspection, testing and mold removal.