Buying a Southern New Hampshire home? Don’t Miss This on Your Home Inspection

If you’re buying a Southern New Hampshire home, you probably know you need to have the property inspected to make sure the home is in good condition before buying it.  But do you know the types of inspections you want done?

One of the inspections you want to include is a test for radon gas.  (Be sure to also include a radon contingency in your offer to purchase.)  Radon sounds fairly harmless, doesn’t it? However, you might not want to pass this option up, especially if your potential new Southern NH home has living space in the basement.

What is Radon?
Colorless, tasteless and odorless, radon is easy to miss. It’s a natural gas that’s found all over the U.S. When we all breathe it in the air, it’s highly diluted. The problem isn’t when radon is outside; the problem is when it builds up in enclosed spaces. In high enough concentration, radon can cause health issues. Over 21,000 deaths per year from lung cancer are Radon related according to EPA estimates.  (The incidence of death is higher among smokers, but still....)

Because no home can be completely sealed against gas from the ground, radon can be present in any type of home and may even build up more in newer, more airtight homes. It can even be found in the water supply. In fact, the EPA estimates that 1 in 15 homes have elevated radon levels.

Getting the home tested…
While certain parts of the country are at higher risk than others, living in a low risk area doesn’t make your particular home safe.  When you set up your property inspections, I strongly urge you to request a radon inspection.

If there is radon in the home…
Radon is measured by the quantity in a specified amount of air. According to the EPA, if the radon level is more than 4.0 pCi/l, there’s a problem that needs to be rectified with a radon mitigation system.  Simply put, the gas needs to be vented to the outside.

Fortunately, the fix won’t take a lot of time or money, but it does need to be done by a trained radon mitigation system professional. For example, if the basement is not finished, you should be able to have a system installed for less than $1,000 (as long as the radon is only in the air, not water, and depending on the size of the home).  Regardless of how high the radon levels were to begin with, this eliminates the problem.

If you’re trying to find a great Southern New Hampshire home to buy, I can help. Call me at 603-821-1134 or email me at Dave@DaveHeeter.com for more information.