8 Tips to PCS to a Safe Home

PCS (or a military move, for our non-military friends) season is quickly approaching. We ourselves are preparing to move in less than 60 days. This will be our third military move and our first since being exposed to toxic mold in our housing. As we prepare ourselves for this upcoming venture we have compiled some tips to make your move in to a new home as safe as possible. While most of the tips apply to the military or military housing, it is true for off base housing and civilians as well.

1. Do not sign the lease without seeing the home first. I understand 100% how complicated this statement is; we ourselves have done this because A. we didn't know any better and B. military housing communities are NOTORIOUS for doing this to families. They use scare tactics to force new residents in to contracts and honestly it is NOT okay. They may try and email a lease over "for your convenience" or have you sign before touring the home. It can be avoided, please do not sign site unseen.

2. Lean on your military housing liaison or command for assistance with any housing issues. Every branch has a different name for this office, but they are on the military side not the housing side. They are supposed to keep housing in check and make sure they are meeting standards, passing inspections, and providing safe housing.

3. Inspect the home for any structural or environmental issues. Here are the top 5 places to check for water damage and mold. Lead, mold, and asbestos disclosures can be asked for and any work orders or history regarding those issues can be requested. If the housing office tries to block your requests, take them to the military housing office, they should have access to them.

4. Note and photograph any problems should you get a home with any concerns. You will want these for the future should any issues arise during your stay or when moving out. Things to look out for are mold growth, cracks in walls/door frames/window sills, water damage, bubbles in paint, warped ceilings/cupboards/floors, and any moisture build up around windows/vents, etc.

5. If your property manager does not have a clear plan or explanation for any issues in a home, request a new home. This is where your housing liaison and command come in to play. It is well within your rights to be put in a safe home without retaliation. Repeatedly I have seen property managers threaten to remove you from the top of the housing list or threaten to leave you without a home. Then when others get involved a new house magically appears for you. Be prepared to stand up for yourself, even if that means a couple of extra days in a hotel while you get a better home.

6. If you previously had mold issues in your home, and items were contaminated, do NOT bring those contaminated items in to your new home. Many movers will not even load those items on to their trucks. But if you are moving yourself and are trying to save or preserve contaminated items, you could cross contaminate the new home. Any non-porous items should be wiped clean and porous items are to each be determined if they can be saved or tossed, that is an assessment a professional mold remediator can make. Here are two articles that explain more about cleaning: article 1 and article 2.

7. Reach out to your local spouse or neighborhood pages. Nobody knows the homes better than the residents and most people are very vocal about it at this point (not so much circa 2017 when we were moving, unfortunately). Some pages may have lists of affected homes, know which neighborhoods to avoid, have advocacy pages or advocates for healthy homes, or at minimum check out some of the national advocacy pages for specifics on neighborhoods at the base you are moving to.

8. Have a plan B or money set aside for extended hotel stays. We never made a plan B because we thought it would be a smooth process. We only had about $1,000 set aside for the move and that had been earmarked for new furniture, not hotel stays or an off-base lease. HINDSIGHT is killer and I can tell you I wish we had a plan B or had used the money to not even move into a home that wasn't safe. We simply didn't know and things are different this time around.

We hope these tips help with your next PCS. No one should be in a home that is not safe and the more you know, the more you can stand up for your family and your rights to safe housing.

Here's to moving on,
B&R