Why Buyers Book the Dog
Every house you tour has a history you are not told about. A roof that leaked for two summers, a water heater that let go while the owners were away, an AC closet that dripped for years. In Florida humidity, any of those can leave mold growing in a wall cavity, and by the time you tour the house, everything is painted and staged. The sellers may not even know. The disclosure form only asks what they know.
Your home inspector will catch what can be seen and reached, and that report is worth every penny. But a moisture meter reads the spot it touches, and a flashlight shows the drywall, not the cavity behind it. The dog smells what the tools can't reach. It sweeps the house room by room and alerts where mold odor may be present, and you get every alert location in writing.
How the Sweep Fits Your Closing
The sweep takes one visit and fits inside a standard inspection period. It does not interfere with any other inspection you have scheduled, and nothing gets opened, moved, or damaged, so there is nothing for a seller to object to. The alert summary arrives promptly, while you can still act on it.
If the dog alerts, you can have a licensed mold assessor test the exact spots during your inspection window, and then walk away, negotiate, or proceed with facts. If the dog goes through the house without alerting, you have something no seller can offer you: a clean sweep from a trained dog with no stake in the sale.
What the Sweep Does and Doesn't Do
What you get: a non-invasive sweep of the full house, every alert location in writing, and a result inside your inspection timeline. What the sweep is not: a mold assessment. It doesn't determine whether mold is definitely present, what species it is, or how far it extends. Florida licenses mold assessors for that testing, and if the dog alerts, testing the marked spots is exactly what we suggest you spend on next.
The Timeline, Contract to Closing
Here is how the sweep usually fits a Florida purchase. You go under contract and your inspection period starts, typically seven to fifteen days. You send us the request form with the property address and your deadline, and we schedule the sweep inside that window, often the same day as the home inspection so the property access is already arranged. The dog sweeps, the handler records the alerts, and the alert summary reaches you with time left on the clock.
If the sweep is clean, you proceed with one less thing to wonder about. If the dog alerts, you still have your inspection period to bring in a licensed mold assessor for testing at the marked spots, and their results become your negotiating position: a repair credit, a price adjustment, or a reason to walk while your deposit is still protected. The order matters, and starting the sweep early in the window keeps every option open.
For Real Estate Agents
Agents book us for buyers who are nervous about a musty smell, and for listings where the sellers want the smell question answered before inspectors arrive. We work around showings and closings, we don't damage staging, and the summary goes to your client. If you have a transaction with a smell problem, send the request form with the deadline and we will fit inside it.
Pre-Purchase Sweep Questions
How fast can you sweep a house under contract?
Tell us your inspection deadline in the request form and we will give you an honest answer for your city. Orlando and the I-4 corridor are fastest. The coasts are regular runs. Deals move fast and we schedule accordingly.
Do the sellers have to allow the sweep?
The sweep happens during your access to the property, usually alongside your other inspections, and your agent arranges it the same way they arrange the home inspector. Nothing gets opened, moved, or damaged, so sellers rarely object once they understand what the visit is.
What happens if the dog alerts during my inspection period?
You get the alert locations in writing while you can still act. Most buyers have a licensed mold assessor test the marked spots right away, then use the results to negotiate repairs, adjust the price, or walk away. An alert is information, not a verdict on the house.
Does the sweep replace the home inspection?
No, and it isn't meant to. The home inspector covers the roof, the electrical, the plumbing, and everything eyes and tools can reach. The dog covers the one thing that inspection can't: mold odor inside walls and floors. Buyers book both for the same reason they check both the engine and the title on a used car.