Home Buying when you have Environmental Sensitivities

Help For The Mold and Chemically Sensitive

When you are sensitive to indoor contaminants such as mold, VOCs, and particulate matter, choosing a home requires extra care and discernment. How to buy a mold free home, you ask? You will need to take into consideration features that increase the risk of mold growth and indoor air contaminants. We’ve compiled the most important factors in a home that need to be avoided, that can be managed, and that you should look for as someone with envirnomental sensitivities. Take a minute to understand what you can do to protect your health as you navigate home buying.

Mold sensitive patients, and those who want to minimize problems with home ownership should avoid the following:

	Dirt floor crawlspace		Landscape that slopes toward the house
	Flat roofs		Visible water damage
	Evaporative (swamp) coolers		Stucco with cracks

With some routine care and maintenance the following, while less desirable for mold sensitive patients, can be kept to a standard to prevent the risk of mold.

	Carpeting		Poorly maintained HVAC
	Any level that is sub-grade (e.g. – full basements, walk-out basements, semi-underground levels)		Reclaimed building materials inside the home
	Poorly maintained roof		High humidity inside
	Odors (musty, urine-like, fragrances, paint, stain, vinyl)

Now that we’ve ruled out features that are prone to mold problems, you may ask yourself what should I look for in a home? Here are some recommendations on how to buy a mold free home and building features that will reduce the risk of poor air quality.

	Properly sloped and well maintained roof		Properly maintained HVAC with fresh air intake or Energy Recovery Ventillator (ERV)
	Hard flooring throughout the home		Clean mold report
	Home built on a slab

Test… before making yourself at home

If you suspect your potential home may have evidence of mold, ask if you can use the ImmunoLytics mold test kit to test the home. Inform them that it will take just an hour and you’ll even share with them the results if they would like. It will cost very little relative to the price of a home, and you’ll know if your new place is a no-go or to proceed in just a few days.  

Mold in your environment can pose a significant health risk.

Keep these tips in mind as you navigate the complex process of home buying and the impacts it may have on your environmental sensitivities. This list may narrow your options but it’ll be worth the costs and health problems you could avoid. To read more about mold-related illness, see: My Recent Bout with Environmental Illness