A Realtor’s Perspective: Tips for Buying & Renting a Healthier Home

Interview with Heather Rose, Benchmark Realty, LLC

Buying and renting a home even under the best of circumstances can be stressful. Now if you are a homebuyer or renter who would like to be particularly conscious about indoor air quality and environmental pollutants like mold and water damage, it can feel like an insurmountable obstacle at times. So, what do you do?

For starters, you should check out our interview with Heather Rose from the  Holistic Realtor and Benchmark Realty, LLC. Heather learned firsthand how mold and water damage can affect a home and uses her own family’s journey to help her clients find healthier homes. She shares helpful tips on how you can work with your realtor to prioritize indoor air quality during your search for a new home. She also offers plenty of practical suggestions for those looking to buy, rent, or build a home.

If a move is in your future, be sure to check out our interview with Heather Rose!  


  • What is the Holistic Realtor and how did your business come to be? (0:53)
  • If someone were house hunting today, what are some things they should be looking for in terms of a finding a healthy home? Do you have any deal breakers or red flags? (5:31)
  • Building a new home is no guarantee that a home will be a healthy one. Can you talk to us about considerations if you decide to build a new home?  (13:17)
  • What are some common mistakes you see homebuyers making? (21:05)
  • The home buying process can be a stressful, expensive and emotional time. How do you help clients navigate this? (24:53)
  • Sometimes people like us can be labeled difficult, demanding, or “crazy” clients. What are key questions or things someone should look for to find a more holistically minded realtor? (29:42)
  • What are some things you do in your own home to keep it healthy? (35:01)
  • If someone wanted to get into contact with you, how would they find you? (40:40)

Get in touch with our guest:

https://theholisticrealtortn.com/


Be sure to watch our entire Tips for Buying & Renting a Healthier Home Series

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When it comes time to buy a home, Heather Rose offers some important advice that can save you money in the long run.

“Be prepared to make an investment in those inspections…it is completely 100% worth it to call these professionals in and just learn as much about the house as you can so you can make a knowledgeable decision and plan going forward.” -Heather Rose

Heather stresses the importance of finding a good home inspector as well as an Indoor Environmental Professional (I.E.P.). A good I.E.P. is specifically trained to seek out sources of mold, water damage, and other indoor environmental pollutants. A good I.E.P. will combine a thorough physical inspection of the home with strategic testing (i.e. surface sampling, wall cavity, ERMI, VOCs, etc.).

Additionally, Heather encourages buyers to do extra due diligence by having separate inspections in the following areas:

  • All mechanicals (HVAC, humidifiers & make up air equipment, etc.)
  • Fireplaces
  • Roof & chimney caps
  • Pools
  • Irrigation
  • Sewer scope & septic
  • Crawlspace
  • Asbestos & lead (depending on age of home)


This interview is part of the Tips for Buying & Renting a Home series. Be sure to check out our companion interviews offering advice and tips from the perspective of an Indoor Environmental Professional and a Home Inspector.