Mould inspection before you buy a house
A home inspector can point to attic staining, a damp basement, or a spot on the drywall. That note on the report is not the same as knowing what is growing, or whether the indoor air is carrying it. Buyers get anxious. Sellers get defensive. Realtors need a laboratory page they can put in front of both sides.
MouldChek Environmental does the inspection and the identification. We do not work for the seller, and we do not sell remediation. A realtor in York Region wrote that a client was stressed after attic mould turned up on a home inspection — the air quality test and a fast report settled the file. You can read that note on our testimonials page.
We take bulk samples, tape-lifts, and air cassettes in the rooms that worry the inspector — attic, basement, bathroom, a closet that never dries — and we compare indoor air with an outdoor reference. The written report is what you attach to the condition of sale. Surface samples list the moulds in rank order; air samples give spores per cubic metre against the outdoor reference. It is not a brochure for a cleanup crew.
Who usually calls
- buyers whose home inspector flagged mould or a musty smell
- sellers who want an independent answer before listing
- realtors and home inspectors who need a laboratory, not a remediator
- property managers handing over a rental — including after a leak or flood
Closing dates are not theoretical. Rush analysis is 24 hours; regular analysis is 3–5 business days. Tell us the date when you call (905-717-2713) and we will say what we can meet. What a test costs depends on how many samples the house needs — we quote before we book.
If the stain looks like black mould, say so. We inspect houses, townhomes and condos in Toronto, Aurora, Newmarket, Richmond Hill and across York Region. Buying an industrial unit or another commercial building? That file is on commercial inspections.
Questions we hear
The home inspector found mould. What happens next?
A home inspection notes what the inspector can see. A certified mould inspection samples the air and surfaces and identifies the mould in a laboratory. Buyers, sellers, and realtors use that report to decide whether there is a problem to fix before closing.
Can you work to a closing date?
Rush analysis is 24 hours. Regular analysis is 3–5 business days. Call us with the closing date and we will tell you what is realistic before we book.
Are you working for the seller or the remediators?
Neither. MouldChek is an independent laboratory. We do not remediate, so we are not selling a cleanup. Realtors and home inspectors refer clients to us for that reason.
Do you inspect vacant houses and condos?
Yes. We inspect houses, townhomes, and condominiums in Toronto, York Region, and the GTA, including properties that are vacant between listing and closing.
What is in the written report?
The mould types we identified, in rank order for surface samples, and spore counts per cubic metre for air samples, compared with the outdoor reference taken the same day. Recommendations, not a remediation bid.