Calgary woman claims she was surprised by mould in her home following inspection
A Calgary woman is sharing her tale of buying a home only to find out the property had extensive issues with mould.
Zahra Khatoon moved to Canada in 2018 in hopes of a fresh start. The mother of four worked for years to save up enough to buy in Calgary.
"So that made me think, I have to work hard to buy a house because when my children's will come, I want to give a better life to them," Khatoon told CTV News in an interview.
She bought a northeast Calgary home over the summer, but soon discovered mould throughout.
She hired a home inspector prior to moving in and said they did not find any major issues. But as soon as she started settling in, it was clear there was something wrong.
"There was a mushroom growing and the laundry room… was full of the mould," she said. "In my kitchen, under the sink, there was the mould."
A second home inspector and mould specialist confirmed that there were several areas affected, Khatoon said.
Drywall has now been ripped off the walls in the basement and in the bathrooms. Khatoon has attempted to clean up the mould from under the sinks.
Khatoon now says she feels as if she rushed into putting in an offer on the home and alleges the first home inspector, who was licensed, didn't properly warn her of potential issues with the property.
The president of the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI) said Khatoon's case highlights the importance of hiring a licensed professional and taking the time to further check references and reviews.
"Hopefully we can turn this around and say, 'You know what people, hire the right people, the qualified people.' Alberta has a licensing system on purpose because there were some bad things that went down," said Peter Weeks, CAHPI president.
B.C. is the only other province that possesses a licensing system for home inspectors.
You can consult Alberta’s online directory here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Ontario urges mpox testing amid spike in cases
Ontario health officials are urging public health units to test for mpox, the viral disease formerly known as monkeypox, amid a spike of confirmed cases in the province.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
'Don't expect any deals:' Expert says stores may not offer steep discounts on post-Easter chocolate
Those looking to snap up cheap treats at their local grocery store next week following the Easter long weekend could be in for a bit of a surprise as the rising cost of cocoa continues to drive up the price of chocolate, one expert says.