Should You Be Scared of Radon?
Illustration from Pillar-to-Post Inspections
When it comes to selling real estate in greater Cincinnati Radon is always a hot topic!
Lots of homeowners and potential buyers are concerned about the possible presence of radon in their homes. Radon cannot be seen or smelled – and with good reason. You can’t see, smell, taste or feel radon…but it’s believed to be a leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in North America.
Good news, if radon is detected there are steps to remedy the cause(s) of the problem. Radon can seep into homes through openings or cracks of basement walls or floors. Sump pumps, and in many homes built in the late 1960′s through the 1970′s with uncovered mud packed crawl spaces usually located under family or laundry rooms are often a way for Radon to enter your home. Anyone who writes a purchase contract should include Radon testing as part of their whole house inspection process. The time to test for Radon is relatively short and while sometimes weather and other factors can skew the results- but the bottom line is that if Radon is above recommended EPA levels, mitigation or remediation is the next step.
If you’re a seller and discover high Radon levels as a result of the prelist inspection- have a professional perform the mitigation work. Potential buyers want to know mitigation was performed by a professional and not the home owner with a caulk gun and a sheet of plastic. And buyers don’t freak out when the test results indicate high levels of Radon. The problem can be resolved. Radon is a known issue throughout the greater Cincinnati real estate market and in some aspects is as scary as termites to potential buyers moving from areas that rarely experience either problem.
The best thing to do about Radon is be informed and proactive…not scared.
