Whenever I list a property, I ask the homeowner to go to two places they generally don’t want to go: The crawl space and the attic.
In the attic, sellers are looking for several things including missing or moved insulation, a leaky roof, disconnected ventilation tubes and possibly mold. If these conditions exist, they need to be addressed. Depending on the severity of the problem, a professional made need to be called. However, in some cases minor fixes can be accomplished by a handy seller.
Not all homes have a crawl space. Some are on a poured concrete slab. The fact that some pipes are encased in that slab is a topic for another time.
If your home does have a crawl space, please visit it or hire someone to go down there prior to going on the market and certainly before a home inspection. I’ve been told that rodents or rodent droppings are present in at least 90% of home crawl spaces in Thurston, Lewis, Mason and Grays Harbor counties. These critters will nest in insulation and ductwork, bringing the insulation down or simply destroying it. Their waste can be present on ground cover plastic and create an unsanitary situation. Again, a professional may have to be called unless the damage is extremely small and the home owner is handy.
Should your attic require professional mold remediation, the bill can be $2K to $1K. Crawl repair can generally run from $4K to $10K. If you need a referral, please feel free to contact me.
Olympia Real Estate Blog 