You should absolutely make sure to have a test for radon conducted before you agree to buy a new home. Radon is colorless, odorless, and extremely hard to detect without a professional test conducted by experts. It is one of the most poisonous gases known to mankind. If found in your home, you need to get rid of it immediately.
There are a wide variety of ways that radon could enter your home. It can come in through areas such as cracks, construction joints, drains, and many others. As noted above, radon has no taste, odor, or color. Your health can be seriously affected in a negative way by radon before you are even aware of it happening.
This is why you need to make sure that a test for radon is one of the first things you do before you agree to buy a property. You want to be sure that the home you buy is free of radon and other noxious gases. A full test should be conducted as soon as possible. This is all the more necessary if the home you buy is an older one.
Areas Of The Country Where Radon Is A Bigger Problem
The presence of radon is a huge problem in certain areas of the United States. This includes much of the northern area of the country. Areas as diverse as New York, Pennsylvania, and Guam are at a highly elevated risk. The state of Kentucky has long been known as the “triple crown of cancer” for its plethora of hazardous materials.
States ranging from Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming to Montana, Illinois, and North Dakota are “Tier 1” radon areas. This means that far too many homes in these areas are bound to be chock full of dangerous radon. States in the Northeast, such as Maine, Massachusetts, and Virginia are also seen to be at a very high level of risk.
The situation for the dangerous presence radon seems to lessen in the southern half of the nation. However, there are plenty of areas in Alabama and Georgia where radon is a serious issue. Certain areas of Nevada, California, and New Mexico are likewise at risk. You should continue to check for radon no matter where you decide to buy a home.
Is Radon Test Necessary If You Don’t Have A Basement?
There are far too many home owners all across the country who seem to think that a test for radon will not be needed. This is because they believe that, since they do not have a basement, radon can’t enter their home. But this is false. You should test for radon immediately. This will be true even if your home doesn’t have a basement.
The important thing for you to remember is that radon can still get into your home via a wide variety of methods. In many areas, radon is in the soil all around you. This includes in the area where your home is built. It can be found in the soil directly under the foundation of your home. For this reason, a test is absolutely necessary.
Who Pays For Radon Test, The Buyer Or Seller?
You are always within your rights to ask that a radon test be performed before you agree to buy the home. In a case like this, it is usually the seller who pays for the test. In some cases, the buyer and seller may agree to split the cost of the test between them.
If the owner of the property refuses to pay for a radon test, this may be a sign that something is wrong. When this occurs, you should probably move on to another home you are interested in.
Who Pays For Radon Mitigation, The Buyer Or Seller?
In most cases, the onus for a radon mitigation test should be on the seller. After all, it should always be up to the seller to make sure that the home they are passing on to a buyer will be safe to inhabit. If radon is found in the home, it should be the seller that pays to make sure that the home will not pose any kind of future danger.
In a few cases, the buyer may agree to split the cost of radon mitigation with the seller. This is an arrangement that both the buyer and seller can come to between them. In general, you are well within your rights to ask that the seller perform a radon test and pay for it themselves before you agree to buy the property.
Occasionally, you may come across a seller that will refuse to pay any part of a radon mitigation test. They may simply expect to sell the home to you “as is.” This sets up a very risky situation where the home you buy may be filled with radon and any number of other hazardous materials. If this is the case, you should not buy this property.
What Are The Risks If I Skip A Radon Test When Buying A Home?
You don’t want to skip any kind of safety test when you buy a home. Ideally, you should ask to have them all performed. At the very least, you should ask to see proof that these tests have been performed in the not so far off past. The idea is to make sure that the home you buy is free of radon and a wide host of other health hazards.
If you do not get your home tested, you can be at considerable risk. You have to keep in mind that radon is a gas that has no taste, color, or smell. You won’t even be aware of its presence in your home until you begin to feel the negative effects. This is why you need to be on your guard. Get your home tested before you move into it.