Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog

Whenever my clients have a home inspection performed, I always recommend that they also have a radon test performed.

Radon is an odorless and tasteless gas that is released when uranium decays in soil and rocks. It is just about everywhere, at varying concentration levels. It can enter a home through cracks in the walls and floor of your foundation and collect indoors. It can also be released by building materials or well water. If people are repeatedly exposed to high levels of radon, it can lead to lung cancer. Radon is actually the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US and every year between 15,000 to 22,000 people die from lung cancer associated with radon. Scary stuff.

For some reason when I purchased my home, my agent never suggested a radon test, nor did the home inspector. Huh. So this past week I called up one of the inspection companies that I frequently recommend and asked that they perform a radon test on my own home.

Right now I have a continuous monitoring machine running in my basement, actively taking samples of the air every 5 minutes. After 48 hours, the inspector will come back and immediately give me the results.

The inspector could have alternatively performed a passive radon test with a charcoal canister. The cannister tests are somewhat less reliable and need to be shipped off to a lab for analysis. Also, these types of tests do not indicate if a homeowner left windows or doors open, interfering with the test results.

A continuous monitoring test alerts an inspector to interference. Not really an issue in my case for testing, but something to think about if you’re a homebuyer requesting one of these tests.

Tomorrow when the inspector drops by to pick up the machine and give me my results, I’ll be hoping they are below 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Anything below 4.0 is deemed “safe” by the EPA. Anything 4.0 and over needs to be retested and, potentially, a radon mitigation system may need to be installed.

Keep your fingers crossed for a sub 4.0 reading, please…

UPDATE: Our radon test results came back at 2.1pCi/L, so no issues for the time being. Also, thanks to a loyal reader for a link to the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s list of radon mitigation professionals. The document also contains some good information on how radon mitigation systems work and a range of installation costs.

This morning I went to preview a house for a client. It was a “pretty house” that had recently been flipped. Just about everything had been redone; new kitchen, baths, paint, windows, everything. It was even staged very nicely, straight out of Better Homes and Gardens.

I can see a buyer walking into this house and being very impressed. It would be easy for a person to envision themselves living there, and not having to do a thing except move in.

I almost skipped looking at the basement of this home because it wasn’t finished. I’m glad I didn’t because there was something weird going on.

Have you ever seen one of these adjustable Lally columns in a basement? Maybe you even have one in your home to help provide some extra support where there is a little sagging.

I have one in my own basement. It helps support a sagging corner in my entryway.

This house had a lot of adjustable Lally columns.

So what does this mean for a buyer? Potentially nothing. I’m not a home inspector, nor a structural engineer. Based on what I’ve heard on various home inspection, these really aren’t supposed to be used for permanent support.

Just a friendly reminder…as a buyer, no matter how pretty the house, please consider having a home inspection conducted by a reputable professional. Not only will they educate you on how to operate your new home, they may also unearth some mechanical, structural, or safety issues that need to be addressed. A pretty house is no good if it’s not a safe place to live.

You’ve looked at a lot of houses. Finally, there is one that meets your needs and you’ve taken the plunge. Your contract was accepted and now it’s time for the inspection phase. The market has changed from the feeding frenzy of a few years ago when buyers were lined up waiting for your deal to fall through so they could pounce. Now, in most cases, sellers are lucky to have you stepping up to the plate.

The home inspection negotiation is an opportunity for you, as the buyer, to have structural, mechanical, or environmental issues fixed, receive money credited toward your closing costs, and/or get a reduction in the purchase price from the seller. I say “opportunity” because there are no guarantees that you will get anything out of it, other than a report telling you about the status of your future home.

Here are my tips for getting more out of your inspection requests…

1. First things first, never insult the seller’s home. They may have years of emotional attachment associated with it and anything negative you say will just start closing the door to an amicable resolution. Pull statements directly from your inspection report and do not color it with your own emotion. For example, say “the furnace is near the end of its useful life” not “the furnace is an old piece of junk.” Be nice!

2. If you are suggesting that the purchase price be reduced or that you receive money to cover closing costs rather than having inspection issues remedied, you should have at least one estimate from a qualified contractor to support the amount you are requesting. Expect the seller to get their own estimates, which may result in a different (most likely lower) amount. Depending upon how different the quotes are, be prepared to negotiate the amount.

3. Support your request for fixes with pictures of the issues. It will let the seller understand that the problem actually exists and make it easier for the contractor to locate the specific problem.

4. Focus on major mechanical, structural, and environmental issues- don’t go after the piddly stuff. A seller is more likely to respect your requests if they know it’s something you can’t easily fix and need the assistance of a professional. If you’re asking the seller to put on new downspout extenders that can be purchased at Home Depot for $3, they’re most likely going to dismiss that request and it will reduce the legitimacy of your other requests.

The most important aspect of your inspection is that you hire a highly qualified inspector that will accurately identify issues. In a slow market, buyers will have an easier time getting their concerns addressed. And if you find that the seller is not willing to address your requests, there are plenty of other houses out there that will probably also meet your needs.