Sophia, I am thinking that pouring a water/bleach solution over the dirt floor in the cellar may take care of most of the problem.

It should be easy to hire a discreet professional house inspector (who doesn't drive up in a flashy "HOUSE INSPECTIONS 'R US -- CONDEMNABLE HOUSES A SPECIALTY!!!!1!" truck) who can give a sober and informed opinion on what's really wrong.

I think my house inspector charged around $300, but that's over 6 years ago now, so my memory has faded. However, it would go a long way to establishing -- from an impartial third party, not a shady contractor looking to convince your mom that she needs far more repairs than necessary -- just what is really wrong, and in what order things must be done to improve the situation.

Unfortunately, I don't know any housing inspectors in your area, but I do know there's an official organization that reputable ones are generally a member of, so some Googling on your part may pay off.

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Theo is good on the home front. If the neighborhood is up and coming, your mother will be able to sell the house no matter what is wrong with it. In a slightly ridiculous housing market (fancy Boston suburb), a couple of years ago some family friends sold their little ranch house for $450K - and the buyers tore it down. Also, just as an aside, "Killer mold" is vanishingly rare in areas that have cold winters. Those horrible cases you see on TV are all in the humid south.

I am a little worried about your mother, though. Is this paranoia affecting other areas of her life? Does she see a regular doctor you could ask for advice about her? I know you are her only family, and I gather she has always been eccentric, but if there is something treatable mentally going on with her, it would be a help to have some doctor input.

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Those horrible cases you see on TV are all in the humid south.

We see them locally, flea. That said, it seems to me it's usually always in newish (for this area) homes.

Sophia, if the mold or mildew is only on the floor (or even the basement walls), I'd try Theo's bleach suggestion. I think that mold is mostly a problem when it gets into wood, plaster, and the like.

I'd go with Theo's inspector suggestion too, and what flea said about your mom (does she have an anxiety disorder?).

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I am now doomed to a morning investigating Killer Mold. Here's a sensible Q&A: [link]

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With ya flea. I see the bleach and water suggestion and there are some other ideas here. [link] That article also mentioned that mold can contribute to depression.

Homes in good areas here are often sold in terrible condition and then either torn down or gutted and redone. The last house I sold was torn down. I should have stripped more out of it!

eta: I would also suggest finding a good realtor in the area.

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You can find a home inspector on the American Society of Home Inspectors' site [link] Home inspectors are private contractors, and, as far as I know, have no obligation to report killer mold to the government. The society's code says:

Inspectors shall not disclose inspection results or client information without client approval. Inspectors, at their discretion, may disclose observed immediate safety hazards to occupants exposed to such hazards, when feasible.

I had a pretty bad bout of mildew about four years ago, but it turned out that I had a leak in the roof. Fixing the roof and the liberal use of bleach and water solved the problem and it hasn't returned. If it's just mildew on surfaces, it's probably not killer mold.

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Thanks for the advice-- it is all making sense. This is just a horrible time for me at the theatre and I have no transportation, so I am limited in how much I can so

I am worried about my mother's mental health, too, but not really any more worried than I have been my whole life-- she has been paranoid like this ever since I can remember. Ten years ago when I was living with her she would take small things I did (like hanging my coat on the only plastic hanger in the closet or not refilling the ice cube trays) as signs that I was going crazy and hated her. I am pretty sure she has untreated major depression, but I can't really get her to go to a health professional about it, and there is a limit to how much I can talk to her about it without her getting unreasonably angry (which is another one of her problems). Unfortunately, my grip on my mental health is tenuous enough that I tend to need to avoid my mother when she is like this because I get sucked in to the crazy.

I am thinking of calling my uncle's wife who lives near her and having her stop by, but that would be majorly weird for my family (we don't really talk between holidays)

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I'm sorry, Sophia. You don't need to get sucked in to the crazy with your work load. Pass along the mold expertise and she should be able to manage a spray bottle of water and bleach (or vinegar). Maybe your uncle's wife knows a good realtor.

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Those horrible cases you see on TV are all in the humid south.

We see them locally, flea. That said, it seems to me it's usually always in newish (for this area) homes.

It's possible that, like with radon gas, newer homes might have the potential for big mold problems -- newer homes are built more "airtight," and (although you'd think that would mean that mold would never get a chance to get in) so once mold gets in, there's no ventilation to dry it out.

Or I could be completely talking out of my ass.

Sophia, if the mold or mildew is only on the floor (or even the basement walls), I'd try Theo's bleach suggestion.

My brother's house (in Vermont) has a dirt-floor cellar, and when they bought it, there was a HUGE mold conglomeration that had taken up residence. Like, about 8 feet by 4 feet on the floor, and then going up the walls about 3 feet. It was this weird while almost billow-y mold. (I suspected it was that weird hallucinogenic underground fungus from that one episode of the X-Files. But no.)

Anyway, bleach and serious de-humidifying got rid of it.

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I think this is a case where Extreme Makeover, Home Edition was not a good thing for my mother to watch.

I am thinking that I am either going to have to go out there and bleach or get my uncle's wife to do it. The uncle's wife helped her suck the water out of the basement.

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