Should You Cancel a Home Sale if Radon is Present?

Should High Radon Levels Cancel a Home Sale?

Cancelling Home Sales for High Radon Levels in IowaIf you are buying a home in Iowa, make sure that you are aware of the dangers that high radon levels pose. This colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who do not smoke. Radon is a gas that naturally decays from uranium in the soil under your home. This silent killer can seep through cracks in your foundation and basement to enter your home. If the home that you are buying has high levels of radon, you should think carefully about what your next move is.

Whenever you are buying a home in a state that has particularly high radon levels, like Iowa, it is important to have the home tested. If the homeowner has not already had the home recently tested for radon levels, you may want to see if you can pay to have a short-term radon test administered. This kind of radon test usually involves placing a radon collecting device in the home for a period of time and then having it tested at a lab to determine radon levels. These tests are good because they only take around 2-7 days. If the short-term radon test shows extremely high levels of radon, you may want to consider having a long-term test completed for more accurate results.

Should You Buy a Home with High Radon Levels in Iowa?

New Home Radon Inspection in Iowa

If you find that the home you are about to purchase has elevated radon levels, there are a couple of different steps that you can take:

  1. It is important that you check the contract to see if high radon levels are a legitimate reason to cancel the sale. Be sure that your purchase offer has the proper inspection contingency that will let you cancel the sale of you are unsatisfied with inspection or test results.
  2. Have the home tested for radon levels if it has not already been done. This is especially important if you are buying a home in Iowa,  where radon levels are notoriously high.
  3. If your contract does allow you to cancel the sale, and the extremely high radon levels concern you, you may want to cancel the sale. Be aware though, that most elevated radon levels can be greatly reduced by installing a radon mitigation system.
  4. If you choose to go on with the sale despite high radon levels, it is important to invest in radon mitigation as soon as possible. This can be done by investing in a radon mitigation system from Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa.

Contact Ameriserv today for solutions to the high radon levels in your new Iowa home.