Buying a property can be tricky: you need to find the right balance between the price and the quality. There are few gems in the rough, houses that you’d instantly know that it needs some TLC before it could be fully livable. On the other hand, there are properties that could surprise you in a bad way after you’ve moved in and settled down. These include meth contaminated houses. They may look pristine inside and outside, showing no signs of wear and tear, but the walls, floors, and every nook and cranny could be contaminated and unsafe for your family.

So, what should you do upon discovering the meth contamination? Should you try and clean the place yourself? Is there a protocol to report the discovery to the authorities? Are there any meth cleaning services that you can call? If so, how long will the meth decontamination take? We’ll try to answer all that right here.

But first, let’s discuss some of the signs that your property has Meth or P contamination.

Your nose knows

Old houses have a distinct smell, usually from wood walls or floor, and other contents left untouched for years. When you’re checking out a relatively new house and you think it doesn’t smell right, trust your instinct and prepare for meth decontamination. Homes used as meth labs leave a unique scent, so be sure to put your nose in areas like the floor, the walls, and other spaces that might retain a scent. So, what do these properties smell like? If you smell ammonia, vinegar, or rotten eggs, you’ve probably hit meth lab jackpot. Even when you’re just scouting a property, don’t hesitate to let your sense of smell work for you. This way, you can ask your realtor about the property’s history to avoid surprises in the future.

The mess left behind can tell a different story

Meth properties are typically pretty messy, with trash piling up all over, and with no one to clean them. Even when the place gets staged for an open house of sorts, you can still see the residual mess, like hard-to-remove carpet stains, vandalized walls, and more. The seller can be fully aware that their property was once a meth lab, but they’d rather keep it a secret to avoid footing the P decontamination costs. Still, not all messy homes are meth houses, but knowing that there’s a possibility can help you in your purchasing decision.

Ask the neighbours

If your agent doesn’t know anything about the property’s history, the best people to ask are your would-be neighbours. Chances are, they’ve seen people come and go, and reports to authorities or any suspicious activities won’t go unnoticed. They may or may not know the previous owners personally, but if there’s anything suspicious about them, that would’ve probably sparked interest and made them more observant. You’d want to do this before pulling the trigger on the purchase, but if you didn’t have the time to research and dig around for a bit, you can ask them about the property’s history the moment you move in. 

Low prices can raise red flags

Think you hit a jackpot because you snagged as property for the portion of its actual value? Perhaps there’s an underlying reason that you didn’t bother to find out. Save yourself from headaches by doing a bit of research first. This would allow you to factor in the costs of meth cleaning to the property’s value. If it’s still a good buy after the necessary cleanup expense, then go ahead and get it. Don’t just buy blindly if you don’t want any big surprises that could affect your investment.

Review the records

Before you spend on any property, you should spend a good amount of time researching about it online. You might chance upon records from the drug enforcement agency or a public registry for known meth properties. It may look clean and pristine now, but it could’ve been a clandestine lab just a couple of months ago. This gives you a clear idea of what actions you can do to before or after the purchase, and you can also use this as leverage to negotiate the price, to account for meth cleaning services, damage renovations, and more.

If you still have no idea where to look, you can go directly to the nearest police station and inquire about the address you’re interested in. They have all the information you need to make an informed decision regarding your property. You can check the number of arrests related to meth use in the area. If the property you’re interested in has a drug-related case, check to see if it meth was involved and for how long was it occupied. You can also do your research online, including checking how safe the neighbourhood is or knowing drug-related statistics.

Your next course of action

Now, let’s go back to the discussion of what you should do upon finding your property is meth contaminated. Assuming that tests have been done by experts to ascertain contamination, you need to come up with a course of action to rehabilitate the property. You’ve already invested a lot in buying that property, so there’s no point to abandon it or sell it for a loss. The same crew that tested your home can also help decontaminate it. They’ll know the severity of contamination, and the amount of effort needed to make it safe for you and your family.

Areas like floors, walls, or ceilings can be thoroughly cleaned without any damages. With the right tools and ample experience cleaning meth houses, these cleaning services can eliminate contaminants or reduce the contamination to a very safe level.

Carpets, however, need to be removed and discarded because it’s cheaper to replace them than to decontaminate them. Furniture needs to be disassembled or broken down in order to fully decontaminate them.

Once all the areas identified have been thoroughly cleaned, only then can you move back in with your loved ones. If you’ve purchased the property at a great discount, investing a bit for decontamination ensures that you’ll be able to sell it full-priced.

Turn to Chemcare if you need meth decontamination in your property. Visit our contact page here to find out how to get started.