Ahhhh Radon

One thing happened during the home inspection for our existing house that will impact new home buyers, so I want to mention it. 

Part of the contract was a Home Inspection Contingency that included a radon test. Radon is a radioactive gas that naturally occurs in many parts of the country, including where we live. There is no legal requirement for builders to address radon. So our current house, built in 2017 did not have a radon test prior to occupancy and had no remediation system installed. However, once we went to resell the house, virtually all home inspections include radon testing. Virtually all them, including ours, failed. This means that we, as the buyer of a new home where the builder is not required to address radon, have to address it when we go on to sell our house. Honestly, this seems like a scheme for builders to lower their costs. The cost of radon always falls on the initial owner. 

Of course, if I'd have known, I'd have installed a radon mitigation system right after I moved in. After all, if I needed to pay for it, I might as well benefit from the reduced change of cancer-causing gas getting into my lungs. Radon mitigation systems cost between $1000 - $1500 depending on what needs to be done, which usually includes drilling holes in the foundation and installing a vent pipe and fan.

Our previous builder, Ryan Homes, part of NV Homes, did nothing to help with radon.Our new builder, DR Horton, however, includes a radon 'rough-in" that can be activated with small inconvenience and small expense. Thank you again DR Horton. We will take advantage of this!

 

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