Household Mold and Allergens, What You Should Know

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This week I thought I would take a slightly different approach to my blog.
 

A colleague of mine, Caroline Blazovsky from My Healthy Home asked me if she could post a blog on my website. Her
 
expertise is in mold and allergens in the home. As a Realtor® I knew this would be great information for everyone but

especially for buyers and sellers. As a Realtor® in the Charlotte, mold is something that we do encounter on occasion.

While representing a buyer a few years back that wanted a fixer-upper, we took a look a split level that had

been on the market a while. As someone who suffers with allergies, both indoors and outdoors, I easily picked up on

the smell of mold upon entering the home. As we walked through the home the extent of the mold was very apparent.

It was coming through the walls, the air conditioning vents and returns and just about everywhere you can imagine.

My clients even contemplated purchasing this home for quite a while that afternoon. After they talked it through for

a bit they decided that they would probably have to tear the house down and rebuild and this was something they just

didn't have time to do. It was during that showing that I learned first hand how fast mold can start taking over a
 
home. Upon hearing about My Healthy Home I realized they were going to be a great resource for me and my future
 
clients.

I hope you enjoy this weeks blog and if you have any questions contact My Healthy Home at 

Myhealthyhomellc@aol.com.



 

Household Mold and Allergens, What You Should Know

It is wonderful to be asked by Heather Strowd of Exit Realty South, to offer some tips for homeowners whom may be

purchasing/selling a home or getting ready to bring their house to market. As a healthy home expert, I continually see clients

who have allowed spaces in basements and other living areas to become full with items. This can create a problem when you

are trying to present a home for sale and may also be a red flag to potential buyers who may be looking at your home.  When a

home is filled or cluttered with paper, boxes, furniture or children’s toys, it becomes very difficult to clean. Dust, dander, mold

(if items become wet or damp) and chemicals can accumulate possibly causing health related complaints.

It is important to know, what is in your environment and how it may affect you. For example, Volatile Organic Compounds or

VOC’s come off everything from personal care products, furniture, paints, cleaners and fragrances. If you are storing items in

your home that may be emitting chemicals, you may be raising your VOC levels, and subjecting yourself to health problems

such as headaches, asthma, respiratory irritation and malaise. Mold is another contaminant that can contribute to poor indoor 

air quality and also lessen the value of your home. 

.

While purchasing a home, we often encourage our clients to test for mold, especially in warmer, humid and damp

climates.Water intrusion, the number one culprit for mold, can cause damage to a home, create mold and be expensive to clean

up and remove. If mold has been allowed to accumulate in home, it can cause structural damage, but may also contribute

to allergies and asthma. Keeping a watchful eye on your home is extremely important! Easy to use professional test kits are

available to homeowners, home inspectors, and physicians to analyze an individual’s home for possible contaminants. We

recommend testing a home for mold before purchasing a property. You and your Realtor® can obtain a "do it yourself" test kit

or you can hire an www.ACAC.org accredited mold inspector to help you. Additionally, mold, dander, skin cells and

chemicals can all be monitored to see if you home is healthy and if you maintaining and cleaning your home properly. It is

important to realize that keeping a healthy home is a learning process and a lifestyle change, but if done properly can really help

improve the quality of your life, both emotionally and physically while also increasing the value of your home. For more

information on our company and fabulous tips on how to have a healthier home, please visit our websites 

http://www.myhealthyhome.info/ or http://www.healthyhomeexpert.com.

For national healthy home consultations or assessing you home for mold and allergens contact: Caroline Blazovsky America’s

Healthy Home Expert and President, My Healthy Home® 866-743-8563