Radon

We try to be as exciting as possible in The Elbowroom, but some subjects are a little stale. We'll try our best to flower this one up. Radon is a natural element that takes the form of a gas and resides in the ground. So what? Well, chances are high that radon will get into your home, but the issue that you need to be aware of is that too much radon is a bad thing. You need to make sure the radon level in your new home is minimal.

In Illinois, you’ll sign off on a Radon disclosure (sample) where the seller is going to state whether or not they have tested for Radon in their home. Most will state that they do not know of an elevated radon level in their home. So it's up to you to investigate.

Your options are:

1. After the contract is signed - Pay $180 (or so) for a test that will give you results within a week. If the results are high, negotiate with the seller for the cost of radon mitigation. That cost to mitigate radon in a typical single family home is on average $1200.
2. Don't do #1, close on the home - Go to Home Depot and pay $35 for a self test kit. You will have to mail this in and the results take 3-4 weeks. If the result is too high, it will be your expense to mitigate.
3. Do nothing - no test (not recommended)

If you’re buying a home from a bank, they probably won’t pay anything towards mitigation unless you’re willing to walk away. They might cave at the last minute, maybe not.

If you’re buying a condo or townhome, more discussion is needed, be sure to ask your agent and home inspector.

Here’s the website of a local radon tester in the area and they have a section where they’ll show you radon level stats from every city they’ve tested in.

"The trouble with an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." - Terry Pratchett

Written by Ryan Gable
Broker/CEO Starting Point Realty
Phone: 847.348.1154
Email: RyanGable@StartingPointRealty.com
http://www.startingpointrealty.com/
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