There are several different inspections that buyers in Virginia can complete once a home is under contract. These inspections help the buyers gain a deeper understanding of the condition of the home and can reveal potential issues that the buyers, and even the sellers, were not aware of in the home. These inspections include home, pest, well and septic, and radon.
What is radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring gas created when metals like uranium, thorium, or radium break down in water or soil. As it forms, radon moves from the soil to the air above where it disperses. Unlike an open field where the radon can be released and diluted in the air, homes act as a balloon trapping the radon inside. Radon can enter homes through small cracks or holes like openings for sump pumps. Living in a home with high radon has been linked to lung cancer.
Certain areas in the country have higher sources of radon than others. Take a look at this map to see the risks for radon in different areas of Virginia.
Here in Orange County, we are classified as having a high risk of radon. Since you can’t see or smell radon, buyers need to test for radon in order to be aware of the level of radon in a home.
How do you test a home for radon?
A radon test is a small box that is set up by a home inspector in the basement or lowest level of the house. The test sits for a few days (without being handled) and then is retrieved by the home inspector and sent to a company to be evaluated.
If the test is moved, it can result in false results. Likewise, if it has been raining heavily for a few days, the home inspector may wait to test the home until afterwards, since heavy rainfall can affect the test results.
What if my home has a high level of radon in it?
The EPA considers any test result greater than 4pCi/l hazardous. Mitigation systems can be installed to remove the radon. The most common uses a vent pipe system with a fan to pull the radon from the house to the outside. If you have walked around your neighborhood and noticed a home with a long white pipe coming from the foundation up towards the roof, it’s probably a radon mitigation system. There are professionals who can install the systems for you. The cost for these systems are around 1,000 dollars, but the price varies depending on the size and construction of your home. After the system is installed, your home will be tested again for radon to make sure everything is functioning properly.
Do I have to install a mitigation system?
According to the Virginia real estate contract, buyers and sellers have a negotiation period after the radon test to reach an agreement acceptable to both parties. As a seller, you don’t have to install a mitigation system, but you are risking the buyers exiting the contract and having to disclose to future buyers the presence of high radon in your home.
Is it common to find radon?
Having some radon in a home is not uncommon. Having a high level of radon in a home in areas of high risk for radon isn’t uncommon either. But, the good news is that it is a treatable problem. Want to find out the level of radon in your home? You can grab a test for three dollars from the Virginia Department of Health here.
