Real Estate Agents Never Know
What They Will Find When They Open The Door
November 25, 2019 by David Scott
As a real estate agent, you likely view houses in every condition from pristine to filthy. While a few dishes in the sink or dirty floors aren’t ideal, there are other issues you may encounter that could be more than just tasks to add to your to-do list; they can present serious health risks.
The truth is that you never know what you might find when walking into a home for the first time. That’s why it’s a good idea to think about some potential worst-case scenarios and have a plan about how you’ll proceed should you encounter them.
Unattended Death
If you’re entering a home that has not been cleaned after an unattended death, you may find a strong odor, blood, and other bodily fluids. While you may see blood and other biological fluid, it’s what you can’t see that could pose a threat. E coli, MRSA, and other bugs can survive for weeks outside the body. That’s why it’s important to know that properly dealing with such matter isn’t just about “a good cleaning.”
Specially trained professionals should be called on to take care of blood and biohazard materials. There are laws governing how such things are handled, so DIY isn’t the way to go.
Hoarding Situations
Selling the home of a hoarder is another situation in which you’ll need the assistance of experienced professionals. When cleaning out a hoard, you may come across animal feces, deceased animals, mold, rotten food, and a host other unpleasant finds.
Do NOT proceed on your own. Instead hire someone who has been trained to deal with such a scenario safely and effectively.
Rodent Feces, Other Animal Urine and Feces
Rodents are more than bothersome creatures. Rats, mice, bats and pigeons - common household pests - can transmit viral diseases via unattended urine, feces and saliva. Often, their bacterium is airborne and can affect food and water sources found in home. Several diseases can be found in rodent droppings, including leptospirosis, a bacterial disease commonly found in food and water sources; arenavirus, a viral disease that can cause extreme sickness; and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, also a viral disease contracted through contact with rodent droppings.
Our technicians can properly remove rodent waste and disinfect areas affected by rats, mice, bats, pigeons, cockroaches and other rodents. Although dry and longstanding, these droppings can still carry bacteria and parasites, especially in badly ventilated areas.
Odor
Have you ever opened the door to a home and been overwhelmed by the smell of smoke or animal urine and feces. Even if the mess is relatively easy to cleanup, it’s still not so easy to get rid of the odor. Such a lingering smell is going to make it difficult to sell the home, so calling in an odor-removal pro is a smart idea.
Mold
Whether you can see mold or just notice that telltale musty odor, you’ll want to have effective mold remediation before you start staging or showing the home.
For all of the above situations, Bio-One is the Tucson real estate agent’s trusted choice for professional trauma cleanup, hoarding cleanup, and mold remediation. We respond very quickly and complete most jobs in just a few hours, so you won’t have to put the listing on hold.
You’ll also appreciate our competitive prices and attentive services. Call anytime, 24/7, and you’ll reach the owner of Bio-One. That’s how much we’re committed to being here when you need us.
Put our number on speed dial, so you’ll know how to reach us next time you come across a house that needs Bio-One services. You can also give us a call to chat and learn more about all the ways we can help get your less-than-perfect listings ready for market. Call today or fill out our online contact form to get in touch.
