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Updated 28 days ago on . Most recent reply
Mold problem won't go away!!!
I purchased a fix and flip that got complicated when we found one of the basement walls was bowing in. It ended up being an easy fix, getting steel braces installed for about $6000. Then things went south...
I decided to gut the rest of the basement since it got water damaged from the foundation issue. I noticed quite a bit of mold growing up the walls, but didn't think too much of it. The day after I gutted the basement I got really sick. I was dizzy and off-balance for weeks following. A couple months later finally starting to feel better.
That's when I called in a professional mold remediator. Long story short, his crew blasted through the job in a few hours and the clearance test failed. I asked if there was anything else we could try, he got very angry and demanded I pay him in full. After a few nasty emails and him threatening to sue me if I left a bad review, I paid him in full, $7000 and moved on. Worst contractor experience I've ever had.
I then hired a second remediator. They pointed out all the things the last company did wrong, and gave me a quote for $4000. I had a better feeling about this contractor so I hired them. Just received the clearance testing and still have "slight mold elevation" in the basement, still indicating Stachybotrys and a couple other bad types of mold. Not the clean report I was hoping for.
The numerous remediation attempts and testing have wiped out my profit on this flip. Now I'm just trying to get out. Anyone with experience that can recommend a path forward?
Most Popular Reply
Yes, I have been involved with several "mold" properties that still had high mold levels after remediation. I don't have much advice as now the profits are gone and it seems like the best thing to do is to get your money out the deal and move on. If you sell directly to a homeowner, the issue can come back on you and bite you in the a... It might be best to consider wholesaling it and letting someone else finish the project, break even and move on. Definitely sell "as is".