A Realtor's Guide to Mold Findings in London, Ontario

This realtor guide to mold in London, Ontario comes down to one habit: turn every mold finding into a written scope and price within a day, before anyone's imagination sets the number. Most findings in local deals are attic sheathing or basement corners, and both are routine to fix. Deals fall apart over uncertainty and deadlines far more often than over the mold itself.

What mold findings look like in London-area homes

The pattern follows the housing stock. In older neighbourhoods such as Old North, Wortley Village and Old East, expect stone, brick and block foundations, damp basement walls and finished basements built against them. Clay-heavy soil holds water against foundations, and humid summers keep basements damp where no dehumidifier is running. In newer subdivisions and the surrounding towns, the usual finding is in the attic: staining on roof sheathing from bath fans venting into the attic or from blocked soffits, made worse by cold winters. Student rentals near Western University and Fanshawe College can show bathroom and window condensation problems from heavy occupancy.

The first hours: a realtor's guide to handling a mold finding

1. Get the inspector's photos and the page of the report, not a verbal summary.
2. Note the condition deadline and the closing date.
3. Send the photos for a written quote. We respond with a firm quote within 2 hours between 7 am and 9 pm.
4. Share the quote with your client before you discuss strategy.
5. Decide the ask or the response and put it in writing in an amendment or notice.
6. If time is short, request an extension before the condition expires.

What to send to get a fast, accurate quote

• Photos: close-ups and wide shots, plus one of the attic hatch or basement stairs to show access.
• The relevant excerpt from the inspection report.
• The address, and whether the home is occupied, vacant or tenanted.
• The approximate size of the area, or the footprint of the house for an attic.
• The condition deadline and the closing date.
• Who to contact for access and how it works: lockbox, seller at home, tenant notice.
• Who the customer will be, since the paying party books the work.

Advice for buyer agents and listing agents

On the buying side, keep your client focused on cause, extent and cost. Discourage waiving the condition on a verbal assurance. If the seller will do the work, see that the amendment names the scope, requires the moisture source to be corrected and requires a report with photos and readings before closing. Leave time for the buyer to look at the finished work.

On the listing side, get your own quote quickly so your client is not negotiating against the buyer's number alone. A seller who remediates and hands over documentation is in a much stronger position to hold the agreed price. Advise against quick cover-ups. Fresh paint on one patch of sheathing or foundation wall is easy for the next inspector to spot and creates a concealment problem. For questions about what your seller must disclose, and about your own obligations as a registrant, follow your brokerage's guidance and RECO's, and send the client to their lawyer.

Words to use and words to avoid

• Say suspected mold or visible growth until someone qualified has looked. Avoid naming species or calling it black mold or toxic mold.
• Do not tell a client it is nothing or that every attic has it. You may be right, but it is not your call to make.
• Do not promise a cost, a timeline or an outcome on a contractor's behalf. Forward the written quote.
• Leave health questions alone. Clients with health concerns should speak with their doctor.

How our process fits a transaction

We do mitigation and environmental work only: containment, negative air through HEPA filtration, removal, drying and documentation. Rebuild work goes to local contractors. The customer pays us directly, 50% to book and 50% on completion, by card or e-transfer. For real estate deals the clearance report, with before and after photos and moisture readings, goes out within 48 hours of work starting, and it can be sent to both agents and both lawyers at the customer's request. We serve London and the surrounding communities, including St. Thomas, Strathroy, Komoka, Kilworth, Ilderton, Lucan, Dorchester, Thorndale, Mount Brydges, Belmont, Ingersoll, Woodstock and Port Stanley.

Keep a short checklist in your phone: photos, report page, deadline, closing date, access. With those five items you can have a number in front of your client the same day. Save (519) 555-0100 beside it.

Common questions