Radon is something most of us do not know about or do not want to talk about. I hear more misconceptions about radon than about anything else in real estate. Here are a few: 1) If someone lives in the house and windows are open, then I don't need to worry about it. 2) If the neighbors do not have it then this house will be okay. 3) Only houses up north on the range have it. 4) If I do not plan on using the basement much, then I don't need to worry about it.
What is radon? Radon is an odorless gas that is found in the bedrock that a house is built on. If you want a more scientific answer here goes, It is a heavy radioactive gas formed by the disintegration of uranium and radium. Is it scary or harmful? The Surgeon General lists it as the second leading cause of lung cancer. How do you know if a house has radon? A simple and not costly test can be done prior to purchasing the house. It is done by an electronic monitor and is left in the lowest spot of the house for 48 hours. It costs about $150.00 for a person to test for it. The EPA recommends that action be taken if the reading is over 4pCi/L. About 40% of the metro area homes have radon readings this high or greater.
Do you not buy a house if the radon reading is over 4? You can have the seller mitigate for a cost of about $1200-1600 and have the reading reduced dramatically. You will be further ahead than most homeowners because now you have taken the action to have a low radon level. The attached drawing demonstrates how mitigation is installed. www.fixradon.com is a good site to go to learn more about the process.
I as a Realtor inform all my buyers about radon. If they elect to not test for it, then that is their choice. I do feel as Realtors we must inform the public of radon and give the consumer choices. I would never want to find out in years to come one of my buyers had cancer that perhaps could have been avoided.
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