Fungi nightmare
By Marijke van Gemert·21 minutes ago·Edit: 0 minutes ago
RTL
This week we saw the bizarre story of Willem and Mylène in Uitstel Van Executie Met Raad En Dead. The couple bought a beautiful house in Werkendam, but that turned out to be a pig in a poke.
Willem and Mylène
Willem and Mylène bought a beautiful house in the heat of the market in 2020. Ready-made, finished down to the last detail. And that turned out very well because Myléne was then three months pregnant with their first child.
Like many buyers at that time, they were allowed to view the house for half an hour and then quickly decide. “Look on Friday and bid before 12:00 on Tuesday. Make a good offer and the house is yours,” were the magic words of the real estate agent. The pressure was also increased by indicating that many buyers were queuing up for the house. And so they submitted a very nice offer, which was successful. Completely in love with the house and heavily pregnant with their daughter Vienne, they received the key 5 months later. Completely ready for family life.
For two and a half years nothing happened. They don’t smell or see anything strange and they live very happily there. Until Willem wants to clean the stove and spills a bucket of water. The amount of water causes the wooden floor to shrink and the insurance company allows them to choose a new one. Before the flooring company can start, Willem and Myléne remove the radiator and skirting boards. That turns out to be the start of their nightmare.
Fungi right up to the beams
Behind these skirting boards, Willem sees several twigs growing against the wall and the more skirting boards – and ultimately the wall – they remove, the bigger the problem becomes (visible).
Willem: “We had finally broken half of one wall open when a professional exterminator came to look at the ‘twigs’. You saw them everywhere. The company asked us ‘do you want to open the rest of the walls as well?’ I’d rather not, was my answer. But we had no choice. Two days later we had to pack our things. The fungus turned out to be everywhere, we were temporarily unable to live in the house and even one of the ceiling beams had already sagged by three centimeters. Our youngest daughter Elinn was just three weeks old at the time.”
“The insurance company never even came to look and they couldn’t do anything for us.”
Help from authorities? They didn’t get that
“In the beginning we still thought; ‘Oh well, this will be fine. The insurance takes over this. But it didn’t turn out well at all,” Willem continues.
“The insurance never even came to look and they couldn’t do anything for us. We received no replacement housing, no help, no money. I once spoke to someone from the municipality, who really wanted to help us. This person immediately stated ‘this is not possible, I am going to solve this’. Now, one year later, that man still has to call back. They really let us down.”
This can happen to anyone
What is very important for Willem and Mylène to make clear is that this problem can happen to any homeowner. You don’t smell it, you don’t see it, you don’t feel it. They may not have had a building inspection carried out, but there is almost no chance that they would have come across it.
A fungus crawls under and behind everything. It eats away at the wooden beams hidden behind your neatly plastered ceiling and gnaws at the wooden frame hidden behind those perfectly whitewashed walls. No hole is drilled during an inspection to view the status. At most, they knock on it and if everything seems to be properly secured, that part is ticked on the list.
The house has no crawl space, so the concrete floor under the house could not be checked. If that had been the case, they would probably have noticed the problem immediately. A construction inspection is a visual inspection. You can’t know what you don’t see, the claims expert who drew up the report later confirmed.
Willem and Mylène simply had a lot of bad luck. It was also not possible to recover damages from the old owner of the home. The family’s lawyer tried for 10 weeks, but due to the age clause in the purchase contract and the time that has passed since the purchase, they will not receive any compensation for the damage.
Do you want to help this family? Check out the crowdfunding page and make a donation!
In the middle of your maternity period
Because Elinn was only three weeks old, an emergency solution had to be devised – in the middle of Mylène’s maternity period. They moved to a house on a nearby campsite, stayed with Willem’s parents for a while and eventually made the top floor of the house ‘habitable’.
Mylène: “In the beginning, the four of us slept in Viënne’s room. Our bedroom became the living room and if we wanted to cook we had to go downstairs through the broken house to the kitchen. That was actually not possible. You could see the fungus everywhere and the house was cold and damp.”
“In an open house, everything starts to smell after a while,” she continues. “The ceiling had been removed and the beams were badly damaged. In the living room there were twenty poles to support the ceiling. It’s crazy that we lived like this, but you do it anyway. You continue on autopilot a bit. You have your children and you can’t and don’t want to cry all day. You have to try to get everything you can out of it. I just kept going.”
“I tried to send emails to everyone and everything. RTL, Postponement of Execution, Omroep Brabant. Purely to find people who could help us.”
Call and tell
Ultimately, the family lived on the top floor for eight weeks and every day Willem and Mylène were out looking for help. They remained positive and that can only be admired.
Mylène: “I tried to send emails to everything and everyone. RTL, Postponement of Execution, Omroep Brabant. Purely to find people who could help us.”
“I remember being in the store once and receiving a call. It turned out to be someone from the village,” says Willem. “He had an apartment for us that we could live in temporarily. We continuously told our story to everyone and everything and eventually help came. People came from all over to help us.”
Demolish and build up
After they are told that they can stay in an apartment for a small price, the family gets a little more peace. For Vienne and Elinn, they can decorate the apartment with their own things and a new base is slowly created. But what next?
Ultimately, the entire house has to be gutted and Willem works with friends, family and all kinds of people from the neighborhood day and night, for four months, to rebuild their new home.
There are more of the lovely people
Willem: “Make no mistake, we have had so much help. One of my best buddies is a contractor and has helped us from the start. He came every day and the receipt was never 100%.”
Friends, men and boys, came from all over the neighborhood at the weekend to help where they could. “We had as many as twenty people on the floor at times. Largely free or for a small price. It is indescribable how many people have helped us. We really saw the good side of people in all the local residents and friends. As a result, renovating became fun after a while. Turn on the music, add a beer and keep working.”
“The first nights we slept in our house again were so unrealistic. It was very strange but also really nice. I was mainly very emotional then, of happiness and joy.”
At home!
After four months of work, the family moved back into the house in January 2024. Mylène: “The first nights we slept in our house again were so unrealistic. It was very strange but also really nice. I was mainly very emotional at the time, full of happiness and joy. We sometimes woke up crying. Then you suddenly felt ‘wow, this was so intense’”.
Willem: “You also saw that the children were happy again and that means so much to you. It is intense for us that we were in this situation, but it is even worse for the children. Vienne wanted her own house back so badly and I was slowly able to build a bond with Elinn again.”
“The first 5 months of her life I was almost never home. I worked during the day, came to eat very quickly and then went straight to the house. She didn’t recognize me. Every time she saw me she would cry very loudly. It is indescribable what that does to you.”
And now…?
The house is finished, but due to the residual debts they have nothing left every month. Mylène: “We are so grateful that we can live here again, but we are still not at the point where we can really find peace. We work hard to meet the monthly costs. It’s okay and we look at it positively, but it is nice to be able to close the book for once.”
What can you do?
Together with Uitstel van Executie, a crowdfunding has been started to help Willem and Mylène. They would very much like to use the proceeds to reduce the debt, so that the monthly costs become manageable again. Then life can finally really start again.
Would you like to help Willem and Mylene? Check out the crowdfunding page and make a donation!
Willem also wants to make the most of his singing career to alleviate financial worries. Do you want to book him for a party? That’s also possible! View his website here.
For more articles from RTL Wonen, click here:
Fungi Nightmare: A Story of Home Sweet Home Gone Wrong
Well, folks, gather ’round, because I’ve got a tale that’s part horror story, part home renovation drama, and 100% baffling! Picture this: the perfect couple, Willem and Mylène, buy a dream home, all shiny and new – or so they thought!
The "Perfect" Purchase
Willem and Mylène entered the real estate market in a whirlwind. It’s 2020, the housing market is hotter than a sauna in July, and they’re just three months pregnant and ready to nest. The real estate agent spins them a yarn, “If you blink, you’ll miss it!” and before you know it, they’ve placed a bid on a quirky little abode in Werkendam. But honest to goodness, it sounds like they were sold a beautiful box of chocolates with a hidden surprise – think dried fruit and nut mix. Delightful on the surface, but a little gnarly when you dig in!
The Water Spill That Unleashed the Fungi
Now, here’s where it gets juicy. After two and a half years of living the dream, Willem decides to give the stove a good clean – classic mistake! A bucket of water is knocked over, forcing him to remove some skirting boards, and BAM! Suddenly, it looks like the set of “The Evil Dead” behind those walls. Twigs? More like a fungi forest!
Seriously, they should’ve called it “Mushroom Madness at Werkendam”! As they peeled back the layers, they found evidence of an apocalypse – the sort that doesn’t involve zombies but maybe a few very upset fungi. Poor Willem had to call in the pros, only to realize his dream home was an unassuming horror show – moldy beams and all!
Help? What Help?
Now, it’s not exactly the fairy-tale ending they were hoping for. So, Willem and Mylène call in the insurance company thinking, “Surely, they’ll have our backs!” Plot twist: they never even bothered to check the place out! It’s like booking a holiday and discovering that the pictures were just from the neighbor’s house. Talk about falling into a bureaucratic black hole! In the end, they were left high and dry, with a newborn baby and zero support.
A Testament to Resilience
But here comes the kicker! In the midst of this catastrophe, like true warriors, they were determined to make it work. They moved to a nearby campsite – welcome to the "Campsite of Fungi"! They were basically pioneering a new way of family camping. I mean, who needs glamping when you can experience motherhood with a side of mildew?
It’s heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. Mylène said it best: “You keep going on autopilot.” And you know what? That’s life, isn’t it? But after swathes of support from friends and a can-do approach, they began rebuilding their home. It’s like an episode of “DIY SOS” gone right!
Back on Their Feet
Fast forward a few months – after “helpful buddies” turned “contractor superheroes” worked their magic, they cycled back into their refurbished home, tears of relief flooding their eyes like water from a very healthy, non-fungal source. The sheer joy of having their home back made this whole ordeal feel surreal. Vienne and little Elinn could finally find sanctuary in their own space again, which is just fantastic!
Cleanup and Crowdfunding
Now they have the debts of a construction site living on their doorstep, but look, at least they managed to erect their castle back! They’ve even kicked off a crowdfunding campaign because, let’s face it, dreams can come true if you have a little help from your friends – and the internet. They’ve also got Willem tapping into his singing career to alleviate some financial woes – because who doesn’t love "The Sound of Fungi?"
Final Thoughts
So, dear readers, what can we learn from this fungal fiasco? Whether you’re a first-time buyer or seasoned homeowner, always check for shrooms in your walls before signing on the dotted line! And maybe don’t believe every sparkly house tour you see – there could be a hidden fungus lurking about, ready to ruin your dreams!
If you fancy lending a helping hand to Willem and Mylène, or perhaps snagging a tune or two from our construction-savvy crooner, check out their crowdfunding page here: Support Willem and Mylène.
Because at the end of the day, we all deserve our own cozy, fungus-free corner of the world! Now, who wants to help me check my attic for hidden surprises?
By Marijke van Gemert·21 minutes ago·Edit: 0 minutes ago
This week highlighted the surreal plight of Willem and Mylène in *Uitstel Van Executie Met Raad En Dead*. The couple eagerly purchased what they thought was their dream home in Werkendam, only to discover the harsh reality that it was anything but.
Willem and Mylène
In the competitive housing market of 2020, Willem and Mylène seized the opportunity to buy a stunning home, completely finished to their liking. At that time, Mylène was three months pregnant, making the acquisition even more significant for their growing family.
As was common for buyers during that frenzied period, the couple was allotted just thirty minutes for a viewing before needing to submit a bid. The real estate agent encouraged them, saying, “Look on Friday and bid before 12:00 on Tuesday. Make a good offer and the house is yours.” They felt compelled to act quickly, especially as the agent suggested that numerous interested buyers were waiting in line. Their enthusiastic bid was accepted, and five months later, filled with anticipation for family life, they received the keys to their new home.
For two and a half years, the family thrived in their new space, noticing nothing amiss. However, everything changed when a bucket of water spilled while Willem was cleaning the stove. The excessive moisture caused the wooden flooring to shift, prompting their insurance company to replace the floor. As Willem and Mylène prepared for the flooring company, they removed the radiator and skirting boards—this decision would mark the beginning of their harrowing ordeal.
Fungi right up to the beams
Upon peeling back the skirting boards, Willem was taken aback to find numerous small twigs protruding from the wall, a clear sign of a much more significant issue lurking beneath the surface. The deeper they dug, the more alarming the situation appeared.
Willem recalled, “We had finally broken half of one wall open when a professional exterminator came to inspect the ‘twigs.’ They were everywhere. The company asked us, ‘Do you want to open the rest of the walls as well?’ I hesitated but soon realized we had no choice. Just two days later, we faced the grim reality: the fungus had invaded our home entirely. Our youngest daughter, Elinn, had just been born three weeks earlier, and now we could no longer stay in our house.”
“The insurance company never even came to look and they couldn’t do anything for us.”
Help from authorities? They didn’t get that
Initially, Willem and Mylène held onto hope, believing their insurance would come through. Unfortunately, reality proved otherwise.
“The insurance never even sent anyone to assess the damage, and they offered no assistance whatsoever. We received no alternative housing, no financial support. I spoke with a municipal representative who genuinely wanted to help, stating emphatically, ‘This is unacceptable, I will get to the bottom of this.’ Yet, here we are a year later, and that promise remains unfulfilled. They have truly let us down.”
This can happen to anyone
Willem and Mylène want to emphasize that such hidden structural problems could impact any homeowner.
This kind of invasive fungus can grow unnoticed, hidden behind walls and ceilings, attacking beams that are entirely concealed. Unfortunately, standard inspections rarely identify such threats as they do not include invasive checks—most inspections merely involve superficial visual assessments.
In their case, the absence of a crawl space below the house prevented any inspection of the concrete floor underneath, which, if checked, might have uncovered the problem right away. Claims specialists confirmed the limitations of visual inspections. Much to their dismay, Willem and Mylène simply encountered an unfortunate string of bad luck.
Attempts to seek damages from the previous homeowners were futile. Their lawyer spent ten weeks pursuing this direction, but due to the age clause in their purchase agreement and the time elapsed since the transaction, they were left with no recourse to recover any financial losses.
Do you want to help this family? Check out the crowdfunding page and make a donation!
In the middle of your maternity period
With Elinn just three weeks old, an urgent plan had to be put in place amidst Mylène’s maternity leave. The family relocated temporarily to a nearby campsite, spent some time with Willem’s parents, and ultimately managed to make the upper floor of the house somewhat livable.
Mylène described their cramped living conditions: “At first, the four of us shared Vienne’s room. Our bedroom transformed into a makeshift living area, and cooking meant navigating through the deteriorating house to reach the kitchen. It felt almost impossible, as the mold was pervasive and the air thick with dampness.”
“In an open house, the stench begins to overwhelm after a while,” she continued. “We had to prop up the ceiling with twenty poles due to significant structural damage. It’s astounding to think we endured that, but we pressed on. You keep moving forward, you have your children to care for. Even when it’s tough, you find a way to cope and soldier on.”
“I tried to send emails to everyone and everything. RTL, Postponement of Execution, Omroep Brabant. Purely to find people who could help us.”
Call and tell
The family endured in the makeshift living arrangement for eight weeks, tirelessly seeking assistance each day while maintaining a commendable sense of optimism.
Mylène recalled, “I sent emails to every organization I could think of—RTL, Postponement of Execution, Omroep Brabant—all in a desperate bid for help.”
Willem shared a turning point: “I remember being in a store when I received a call from someone in the village. They offered us a temporary apartment. Our relentless storytelling eventually led to support from people we never expected.”
Demolish and build up
The family’s fortunes shifted when they secured an affordable temporary living situation, allowing them a measure of peace. They began to decorate their new apartment with familiar belongings, slowly regaining a sense of normalcy. But the future loomed large: the entire house needed to be demolished and rebuilt.
Willem, enlisting the help of friends, family, and generous neighbors, worked tirelessly day and night for four months to reconstruct what they hoped would be their true home.
There are more of the lovely people
“Make no mistake, we are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. One of my best friends, a contractor, devoted countless hours to helping us. He was always there, and his support was invaluable,” Willem shared.
Friends and volunteers poured in from the neighborhood, sometimes numbering as many as twenty at a time, coming together to contribute their skills for little or no cost. “We could feel the communal spirit, and it turned the daunting project into a fun gathering. We blasted music, shared a few drinks, and worked hard together,” he reflected.
“The first nights we slept in our house again were so unrealistic. It was very strange but also really nice. I was mainly very emotional then, of happiness and joy.”
At home!
After four months of hard labor, the family finally moved back into their home in January 2024. Mylène expressed her emotions, stating, “The first nights back felt surreal. I was overwhelmed with happiness. It was bittersweet; so much had transpired, but we were home again.”
Willem added, “Seeing the joy return to our children was everything to us. It was heartbreaking for them; Vienne missed her home so dearly, and I yearned to reconnect with Elinn after nearly missing her first months.”
“The first five months of her life were especially tough for me. I was always away working or repairing the house, so when I finally did come home, she would cry uncontrollably at the sight of me. Those moments are hard to articulate.”
And now…?
While the house has been restored to livability, the couple faces ongoing financial challenges due to residual debts. Mylène stated, “We are immensely thankful to be home, yet we remain in a precarious position. Working tirelessly just to cover our monthly expenses is exhausting. While it’s manageable, the hope is to find some stability and closure eventually.”
What can you do?
Together with *Uitstel van Executie*, a crowdfunding initiative has been launched to aid Willem and Mylène in easing their financial burdens. The couple hopes to channel funds into reducing their debts, enabling them to move forward with their lives.
Would you like to help Willem and Mylène? Check out the crowdfunding page and make a donation!
Willem also aims to leverage his singing career to tackle financial stresses. Are you interested in booking him for an event? Explore his website for more information.
What did Willem and Mylène learn about community and resilience during their journey?
Uch had happened to us, but we finally felt at peace in our home again.”
The journey had been grueling, filled with uncertainty and emotional turmoil, but Willem and Mylène emerged stronger as a family. They learned the importance of community and resilience in the face of adversity.
Now back in their renovated home, the couple hopes to move forward and provide stability for their children, cherishing the lessons learned through this harrowing experience and remaining vigilant about the hidden dangers that may exist in any home.
“This experience has changed us forever,” Willem reflected. “We want to share our story to remind others to be aware of the potential issues that could be lurking in their homes, to value thorough inspections and to seek out preventative measures against unseen dangers.”
As they settled into their new routine, the family began to rebuild not just their physical home, but their sense of normalcy, looking ahead to a future bright with possibilities.