FAQ: How to Quickly Sell a House with Mold

Sometimes, life comes at you sideways. Of course, these surprises can arrive wrapped in fun packaging, like a new job in Europe or the birth of a grandson across town. But, they may also pack a painful punch when it’s a job that you’ve lost or a child who has fallen ill. Whether brought on by good news or bad, sometimes the response is that you need to move fast when life happens. 

If that means you also need to sell your home fast, you may suddenly be faced with a whole new set of stressors. Just purging items you don’t want, then packing the things that you do, takes time. So does cleaning, hiring movers, and forwarding your mail—not to mention finding a new place to live and traveling to get there. 

When your home also has issues, like mold, that could impact the sale, you may be surprised to find your stress level going through the roof. Selling a house with mold—or any other issue—is doable, however, and we’ve got a few tips to show you how. 

Three Tips for Selling a House with Mold

Not everyone experiences the effects of mold. Even those who do realize varying levels of discomfort. You may only get sinus headaches or an occasional cough, while others feel constantly itchy or have difficulty breathing.

In the worst-case scenario, health conditions such as asthma can worsen and even become life-threatening. 

Of course, some degree of mold is to be expected in a home. It can be an unsightly—and often smelly—nuisance, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t normal. So, when health issues do arise, the fungus itself is not always at fault. Instead, a mold allergy may be to blame. 

Unfortunately, that doesn’t let you off the hook for dealing with the problem—especially if you’re selling a house with mold issues. It doesn’t matter what type of mold it is or how serious the problem may (or may not) be, either. Because mold is a potential health concern, it has to be quickly handled. In most states, it must be legally disclosed to all interested buyers as well.

To avoid mold litigation, and to honestly help the sale of your house go through quickly, you have three options. They are:

1. Remediate the mold

Because the presence of moisture and, therefore, mold is normal in most homes, total mold removal isn’t usually possible. You can, however, remediate the mold by bringing spore levels back down to normal. There are only two ways to do this:

DIY Method

Purchase a commercial mold cleaner or create an at-home mixture of water and bleach to thoroughly kill and clean all signs of mold from every surface. Your cost for all materials won’t be much—probably less than $100—but, you will have to invest a lot of hours to manage the process. You also risk getting sick by increasing your exposure. 

Unfortunately, because outward signs of mold are often symptomatic of a larger, hidden problem, the Do-It-Yourself method may not be a full-proof solution. If mold is inside the ducts, your crawlspace, or lining the AC, then wiping down the walls won’t keep it at bay. Since you can still be held liable, you may still need to hire a pro to follow up. 

Hire a Pro

Because you should hire a remediation expert to inspect your house—even if you attempt to kill most of the mold yourself—consider hiring a pro to just handle it all. It will save you time and quite a bit of hassle. It could also save you from getting sick or sued. And, the average cost for an inspection is usually only $300 to $400.

Professional mold remediation isn’t cheap, though. The average cost for this service on a small- to the medium-sized house is more than $2,000 according to HomeAdvisor. But, successfully treating some areas in the home can cost more. For example:

• • Attic: between $1,000 and $4,000
  • Bathroom: as much as $8,000
  • Heating, cooling, and ventilation systems: $3,000 to $10,000
  • Drywall or concrete: up to $20,000

These costs, however, don’t take into account any repairs you may have to perform that are a direct result of a mold infestation—or that may have caused or contributed to the mold in the first place. Replacing a damaged carpet may only run you several hundred dollars, but sealing a cracked and leaking foundation can cost as much as $6,000. You can choose not to perform repairs, of course. Except, selling a house with foundation issues is about as difficult as selling a house with mold.

2. Sell as-is with a real estate agent

If the cost to remediate the mold and perform repairs is financially out of reach, selling your house as-is with a real estate agent may be the better option. Your agent will have to price your home with the mold problem in mind and still disclose the issue to anyone who wants to buy. But, if someone else wants to deal with it—and can—having an agent can help you find them. 

A real estate agent won’t work for free, however. They may not even be cheap. For example: 

• Listing agents charge sellers as much as six percent of a home’s selling price, according to Realtor.com, which is then split with the agent who brings you the buyer. 

• Some agents charge miscellaneous fees in addition to their commission, especially if they work with a discounted firm. These “marketing, admin, and filing fees” may only cost you an extra couple of hundred dollars—or, they can siphon off a few thousand.

If your house is already priced cheaply to attract buyers who aren’t afraid of fixers, paying anything extra out of pocket is probably going to hurt. There’s also no guarantee that putting your house on the market will work for securing a buyer. Most people who are shopping for a house want a move-in-ready home, not one that is tainted with potentially dangerous mold.

3. Sell as-is to an investor

You can sell your property without paying commissions to an agent, however—and in its as-is condition, too. Many real estate investors can take on even the worst of fixers, including houses that have issues with mold. Some will even pay you in full with cash and close quickly, often in as few as seven days. You don’t need to openly market your home with an agent to find them, either. If you can find one yourself, an experienced investor will buy your house directly without requiring the services of a real estate agent—or charging you any fees for not using one. 

Be Rid of Your Mold and the Stress of Selling Fast

Luckily, you’ve already found a fair, fast, and direct cash buyer right here—at Sell Your House Direct. 

As home buying specialists, we can rid you of the stress of trying to sell your house fast by taking it off of your hands as-is.

And, when we say ‘as-is,’ we mean it. You don’t have to purge, pack, or clean anything you don’t want to. You’ll be free of performing any inspections, handling any repairs, or holding any showings. You don’t even have to remediate your mold problem. We’ll do it all, and we’ll do it at zero cost to you.

In fact, all you have to do to get moving quickly is give us a call and let us make you an offer. Selling a house with mold has never been faster, easier, or less stressful. How’s that for a nice surprise?