Buying a House? Test for Radon!

Continuous radon monitor test in-progress.

Over the past few years, particularly since a section was added to our Seller's Property Disclosure Statement, radon has been a hot button issue in real estate.  To quickly recap, radon is an odorless, invisible gas that is caused by the half-life breakdown of uranium in soil.  It's in every house and is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Radon levels are measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), and the EPA states that any level above 4.0 pCi/L is deemed to be "unsafe".

Radon testing is involved in nearly EVERY home transaction these days.  Testing occurs during the buyer's home inspection contingency period, and typically costs about $150.  Testing is typically done using a continuous monitoring system and is performed in the lowest level space that will be lived in (my home inspection usually performs them in a lower level bedroom).  The minimum amount of time for testing is 48 hours and the results are ordinarily available immediately.

I strongly encourage buyers to test for radon during their inspection contingency period.  If the results come back below 4.0 pCi/L, excellent!  You can rest assured that your home has a safe level of radon without installing a radon mitigation system.  If it comes back above 4.0 pCi/L, it's usually an item that it easily negotiated with the sellers.  The most common solution is for the seller(s) to hire a professional contractor to install a radon mitigation system.  Radon mitigation systems vary in price depending on the home size and setup, but a typicaly system costs somewhere in the $1,200 - $1,800 range.  Below is a very basic graphic example of how a radon mitigation system looks.

Example of a radon mitigation system.

If the seller is unwilling to install a system prior to closing, the alternative solution is usually for the seller to offer a price reduction or closing cost credit to cover the cost of the system.  Sellers have a strong incentive to resolve a high-radon issue, because they would then be required to disclose that (1) a test was performed and it came back high, and (2) that a radon mitigation system has not been installed.

Radon is a complicated issue that effects nearly every single transaction these days, so if you have additional questions on radon or radon mitigation systems, contact me!  I'd be happy to help.