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Does Water Damage Decrease Home Value

Like many other smart home buyers, you probably purchased your home because it is an investment that can appreciate in value over the years.

You can pay down your mortgage over time, and eventually, if you choose to, you can sell the home and make a tidy profit. However, you will only make that profit if you keep the home in good condition.

Making sure your home is protected from things like termites is essential. A termite infestation that goes undetected for any length of time can wreak extremely expensive havoc.

You will need to keep your roof in good condition and gutters too. The one thing that can be worse than termites is water damage.

Water Damage Can Absolutely Decrease Your Home's Resell Value

Water damage can destroy your home's resell value faster and more thoroughly than anything else. Most of us deal with small plumbing issues from time to time, but this is different.

If these minor issues are addressed quickly and correctly, they won't cause much damage. Correctly means that if you have a water leak anywhere in the home, getting in a qualified plumber is the best way to ensure it is repaired the right way.

Then there are the very serious water damage issues that can destroy value and cost a small fortune to repair. Things like flooding basements can cause structural damage to your foundation.

Roof leaks can severely damage the attic space, ceilings, and electric lighting over time. If you have water that accumulates and stands in the crawl space of your home, that's really bad too.

When you have that kind of water damage happens, it can also cause the one word that puts terror in the hearts of any homeowner, mold.

And Mold Contamination Can Make It Even Worse

The mold it leaves behind can completely destroy the value of your home even if you get the water issue repaired. It can grow quickly when certain conditions are present.

The first requirement is water. It can be in the from of standing water, long time leaks, even moisture from an attic that sweats because of heat or from air conditioning that causes condensation inside the home.

Any of these things can cause mold. Of course, a natural disaster flooding of the home can cause the most serious cases of mold infestation that can destroy the total value when it is severe.

In most cases, a home can be saved from mold. The sooner the source that is causing the mold is found, the greater the chance that the mold can be cleaned up and wiped out.

Most of the time a bad mold infestation is going to require a professional water damage and mold remediation company to get the job done right. If your home is not free of mold and water damage, there is no way you will ever be able to sell it in that condition.

Mold can cause serious illnesses for people and pets and no one wants to buy a home that comes with that kind if baggage.

You Must Disclose Water Damage & Mold To Potential Buyers

If you even suspect that you have mold somewhere in your home, you need to have an inspection done. You can buy kits that are available for homeowners to do some limited testing yourself.

The most effective option is to have a professional company come in and do it for you. You should do this if you smell musty odors, see mold on ceilings, walls, or around baseboards, or if you know there has been water damage recently.

Having a mold inspection is the best thing for your family's health while you are living there first of all. If you are thinking of selling your home, you want to be sure there is no mold present anywhere.

If you sell your home to someone and mold is discovered soon thereafter, you could even be sued by the new buyers.

So, in the case of mold in your home, it is far better to be safe than sorry. You need to protect one of the biggest investments you have ever made from two of the most harmful things that can happen to it, water damage and mold.

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