3 Reasons Why Everyone Needs a Radon Test
October 18th, 2007 Categories: Buying a Home, Real Estate Tips, Selling a Home
Buying a home is a complicated process. There are lots of moving parts. There are many things that buyers need to be aware of. I write about many of these potential pitfalls on this blog and today want to let you know about one that could threaten your very life!
There are a series of optional inspections that I always consult with my buyer clients about before we look at the first home. One of these inspections is a radon test. This is, in my opinion, the most important test anyone could have done on their home. Amazingly, as important as this is, over half of my clients do not even know what radon is, or the potential health risks of breathing high levels for extended periods of time.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that occurs naturally. It is actually a mildly radioactive gas that is released from rocks in the soil of the earth. Granite is one of the biggest contributors, but there are many rocks that emit this carcinogenic gas. As it escapes from the soil it can pass through the floor of your home and become trapped inside, leading to elevated levels that the EPA has determined are hazardous to human health.
Reason #1: Radon Can Kill You
As you may have gathered already, radon gas can be deadly. The EPA says that radon gas is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Over 21,000 people die every year from radon caused lung cancer. Everyone talks about second hand smoke, but only about 1,000 people who have never smoked contract lung cancer from this source. Radon causes 21 times more lung cancer deaths every year than second hand smoke.
Reason #2: The Standard Real Estate Contract Requires the Seller to Correct High Radon Levels
The standard NC Offer to Purchase and Contract contains language that gives buyers the right to have a radon test performed and requires the seller to take corrective action if elevated levels are found. If the seller refuses, earnest money is returned to the buyer and the contract is voided because of the seller’s breach.
The correction procedure is to have a ventilation system installed in the foundation to evacuate the gas before it can enter the home and create elevated levels. This procedure can, in most cases, permanently eliminate the risk of elevated levels of radon in the home.
Reason #3: Not Testing Now Could Cost You When You Sell Later
Just because you choose not to have a radon test done does not mean the person who offers to buy your home in the future will not want to test. What a mess this could be. For the sake of saving $150 or so you could expose yourself and your family to deadly gases over time and be faced with the cost of installing a radon mitigation system yourself to make your home salable in the future. That’s called lose-lose and it’s not very smart either.
What should you do if your home has never been tested?
If you are reading this article and are realizing your home has never been tested, there are a few things you might want to do.
First, have a test done immediately. Email me, or give me a call and I can recommend a good home inspection company that can administer a highly accurate test that will answer the radon question once and for all.
And don’t go to the hardware store and buy a do-it-yourself kit. There are canisters available that you can set in your home and then mail off to have them analyzed. Don’t be a penny pincher with your life. If these canisters tests are not administered correctly, or if the lab makes an error, you may have an invalid test and never know it.
The other thing you might want to do is consider having a buyer agent represent you on your next home purchase. I always ask my sellers if they had a radon test done when they purchased their home, so that I will have some idea if there could be the potential for a problem with radon. Whenever someone tells me they did not have a test done when they purchased, it is always someone who bought directly from the builder, or direct from the listing agent. In both cases these people were unrepresented when they purchased and had no one to advise them of the risks you have read about here today.
[...] I do not ever recall a builder’s contract giving the buyer the right to have a radon test done and promising to mitigate this deadly gas if high levels are found. Radon is the leading [...]