Moisture / mold in the house - call an expert?

Good morning everyone,

First of all about me, since I am new here and will probably ask questions more often in the next few weeks.. My name is Domin, I am 25 years old, I live in RLP and am currently searching for a house together with my girlfriend and her daughter. We are looking for a preferably detached house with a large garden and usable space. We are both beginners when it comes to buying a house & therefore hope for some support through your knowledge.

We have now found the desired property described above, a house in a settlement, above a town with hardly any neighbors and in the middle of nature. In other words, you could do whatever you want there.

When we viewed the house from the inside yesterday, I noticed mold in one spot in the upper floor, which immediately set off alarm bells for me. However, this was only in one spot, where apparently the bed had been before. (I am attaching a picture of the mold). What also makes me a bit nervous is that the cellar smells 'musty', I don't know exactly how to describe it, but it practically smells of moisture.

Now my question: In this case, should one immediately bring in an expert, or can one first do some measurements oneself with a moisture meter and if these are in the abnormal range, better leave it alone right away?

Best regards and have a nice weekend!

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If the property is close to your heart, I would immediately get an expert. Assuming you take the measurements yourselves, you probably still lack the knowledge to handle them. To then accept or decline the house with a good feeling, a second opinion would be helpful. The expert should be able to help you with your conscience and also assess any necessary renovations.

What is the year of construction? Are the stains on an exterior wall on the upper floor?

What is the year of construction? Are the stains in the upper floor on an exterior wall?

Year of construction 1964 and yes, it is located on an exterior wall.

If the property is important to you, I would get an expert appraiser immediately. Assuming you do the measurements yourselves, you will probably still lack the knowledge to handle it. To then accept or reject the house with a good feeling, a second opinion would be helpful. The appraiser should be able to help you with your conscience and also assess any necessary renovations.

I will have a moisture measurement carried out today with a construction contractor and have the sealing evaluated immediately.

At least personally, I wouldn't worry too much about the mold spots, because when older houses have exterior corners blocked off, this often happens. Are the other rooms okay? Of course, this is only a remote diagnosis. If you are getting someone for the basement anyway, he should of course also take a look upstairs.

I can't say much about the basement, as I am not very familiar with this year of construction.