a Real Estate Perspective
When I started my business in real estate, I never realized that I'd be using so much chemistry & geology! Alas, radon has seeped into my career just as it does many homes. It can definitely affect a real estate transaction, so allow me to dispel a few myths that I've learned along the way:
MYTH: Radon can be smelled as soon as you enter a home.
FACT: Radon is a colorless, odorless gas - no easy way to tell it's there when viewing a home.
MYTH: Don't bother to have it tested - radon is very rare.
FACT: In some areas, radon is not a concern. In Western PA, however, about 50% of the homes that are tested come back with high levels. It may be worth the test (about $175) to see.
MYTH: If you open the windows before/during a radon test - it'll air out the house, & you have a greater chance of passing the test!
MYTH: If a house has ANY radon - run away!
FACT: The vast majority of homes in this area do have some radon. Anything below 4.0 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) is considered to be "safe" levels.
MYTH: Radon is a very expensive & invasive fix.
FACT: Of all the properties I've worked with that have tested high for radon, I've never seen a radon remediation system exceed $1,000. The installation of a radon remediation system consists of some pvc piping in the basement & along one small area of the exterior of the home.
I not only have experience with radon through helping my buyers & sellers, but I've had a radon remediation system in each of the homes I've owned! Let me know if you have any questions, & here's a short video with some more info!
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