The short answer
If the home has flood history, has been vacant, has original wet areas or has been freshly painted, a specialist mould and moisture inspection is worth adding to the building and pest. Book it inside the contract's inspection period so the findings can still change your decision.
Warning signs at an open home
- A strong smell of air freshener, candles or fresh paint in one room only.
- New paint on ceilings in bathrooms, laundries or below a roof valley.
- Dehumidifiers running or windows wide open on a cold day.
- Swollen skirting boards, cupboard bases or door jambs, especially beside wet areas.
- Stains or mould behind furniture — look behind beds and inside built-in robes on external walls.
- Efflorescence — white, powdery salt on brick or masonry, a sign water has moved through it.
- A musty smell in the subfloor or lower-level rooms.
What a building and pest may not cover
A standard building inspection reports on the visible condition of the property and may note dampness. It is not usually a mould investigation: it typically doesn’t include air sampling, laboratory analysis or a full moisture map of the house. A mould inspection is narrower and deeper — wet areas, roof penetrations, external wall bases, subfloor and the back of wardrobes, with instruments.
Seller disclosure
Since 1 August 2025, sellers of most Queensland freehold property must give buyers a Form 2 seller disclosure statement before the contract is signed. A buyer can terminate if it is missing, and in limited cases if it is materially inaccurate. It is a set list of prescribed matters, so a buyer should not rely on it to answer the mould question. General information only, not legal advice.
Timing
- Sign the contract with your conveyancer’s advice on conditions.
- Book the building and pest and the mould inspection in the first days of the inspection period.
- Allow time for laboratory results if air samples are taken.
- Take the report to your conveyancer before the condition date.
Reading the result as a buyer
Most homes in a humid climate show some mould somewhere. What matters is whether readings show an active leak, a ventilation failure or structural damp — the findings that cost money after settlement — rather than maintenance-level mould on grout and silicone.
Questions people ask
Will the seller's disclosure statement mention mould?
The Form 2 statement covers a prescribed list of matters. Don't assume it answers the question of hidden damp or mould; ask your conveyancer.
Can I make my contract subject to a mould inspection?
Your conveyancer can advise on suitable conditions. Many buyers rely on the building and pest condition and arrange the mould inspection within the same period.
References
- [1]Queensland’s new seller disclosure rules: what you need to know before 1 August 2025 — HopgoodGanim Lawyers
- [2]Mould and damp — Queensland Government
Checked against these references on 2 November 2026.