If The Radon Levels In Your Home Are High Do Not Inhale
April 10th, 2008 Categories: Buying a Home
Several months ago, I sold a new construction home and as usual, I insisted that some language be added to the builder’s contract giving my buyers the right to do a radon test, and the right to demand that a radon mitigation system be installed at the builder’s expense if high levels were discovered. My buyers ended up being very glad this language was added for their protection.
As it turned out, this brand new home tested positive for high radon levels. Real high. The EPA says that radon levels over 4.0 pico curies (there’s my fancy word for the day) can cause long term health problems and death. That’s right, death. It’s not much fun to talk about, but 20,000 people die each year from lung cancer linked to exposure to high levels of radon gas. The average level in this home was 20 pico curies. This is serious stuff.
The radon gas issue in the home I sold was taken care of with a relatively simple radon mitigation system consisting of a foundation fan that was installed at the builder’s expense. The radon levels in this home retested at far below the EPA threshold. My buyers can now breath easy. They shouldn’t ever have to worry about radon gas again.
Had my clients not had an agent who was willing to negotiate the additional terms regarding a radon test and responsibility for installing radon mitigation into the contract, they could have ended up paying for the solution themselves. Or, worse. They might have never known what they were breathing.
I remember the first time I heard about the dangers of radon gas back in real estate school. It sounded pretty scary to me. I figured that with the seriousness of the issue, all buyers must surely have access to information on the dangers as well as the right to do a radon test and either have the seller fix any problems, or terminate their contract. When I began my real estate business back in 2002 I found the reality to be quite different.
The good news is that the standard North Carolina real estate contract used for resale homes includes really good terms that protect the buyer with regards to radon. The bad news is that when I explain that part of the contract to my buyers, they typically have never heard of radon gas before.
Most of the homes I list for sale have never been tested. I always ask at the listing appointment. Can you imagine selling your home and discovering from the buyer’s radon test that you have been inhaling high radon gas levels for years? Now you are struck with fear of the unknown effects on your health and you must install a radon mitigation system that could have been protecting you all this time. The time to test for radon gas is when you buy a home.
Sometimes it feels pretty lonely counseling home buyers on the merits of having a $140 radon test done that could save their life. I’ve had listing agents tell me there is nothing to worry about because they don’t know of any radon issues in the area. I’ve had builders and their agents tell me the same thing. And their contracts usually just ignore the issue altogether.
I’m sure my buyer clients wonder why I’m sometimes the first person they have ever heard talk about the health risks of radon in such a passionate way. And their doubts may be strengthened when, as it turns out most of the time, they pay for the radon test and the levels in their new home are normal. Is it worth $140 to know if you are at risk of developing lung cancer from a gas you cannot smell, see, or taste? I think so.
