Boston Real Estate for Sale

Should I pay for a radon test?

Boston Condos for Sale in 2024

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January is National Radon Awareness Month. There is a lot of misinformation out there about radon and where it could be hiding. We can not see it or feel it or hear it but that doesn’t mean it isn’t in our homes, offices, and schools.

The winter months are one of the best times to test radon levels and we have lots of radon in Minnesota.

Homebuyers should always have a radon test as part of the home inspection.  It doesn’t matter if the next-door neighbors have tested and do not have radon or if no one knows of anyone in the neighborhood who has ever had a positive radon test.

When buying or selling a house the radon test should be conducted by a professional. 

Most homeowners have never tested for radon even though it is estimated that nearly half of all Minnesota an estimated 40% of homes have elevated levels of radon.

I’ll never forget the time the real estate agent told the buyers that she had never heard of radon in the neighborhood. It just doesn’t work that way.

Radon gas can be anywhere and everywhere. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that comes from the soil. When inhaled these fine particles can damage the lungs. Exposure to radon over a long period of time can lead to lung cancer.

Radon can be mitigated.  Sometimes when houses have high levels of radon in them the sellers will agree to pay for a mitigation system.

Info graphic national radon hotline 1-800-sos-radon

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Should I pay for a radon test?

January is national radon awareness month even in 2024. The winter months are one of the best times to test radon levels. You can do the test yourself, and right now radon test kits are discounted.

What is Radon Gas?

Radon gas can be anywhere and everywhere. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that comes from the soil. When inhaled these fine particles can damage the lungs. Exposure to radon over a long period of time can lead to lung cancer.

Boston Condo Buyer

 

A while back, one of my buyers called me to see if she should pay extra on her home inspection for a radon test. She also asked me what is radon and how dangerous is it.

According to the EPA radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. Radon forms naturally from radioactive decay of uranium deposits within the soils of the earth crust. It then rises and seeps upward through the soil and into your home through spaces and cracks in the foundation or walls. No home is completely air-tight, which means radon can be in any home at any time.

According to the research that I read, radon has been conclusively been proven to be the second cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking. Radon is considered the number 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon kills thousands of Americans each year and is responsible for 15% of all lung cancers worldwide.

Should you get a radon test if you’re buying a Boston condo? To me, the extra money on the home inspection is well worth it and more so if you are buying a garden-level condo.

Source: EPA and Custom Home Inspection

Boston Condos for Sale in 2024

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