There’s plenty of scientific data about the relation between high levels of radon in a home and increased risk of lung cancer. But some people don’t believe it. Others think the science is basically good but the level that the EPA has set that requires radon mitigation (fixing it) at 4.0 pico-curies per liter of air or above is unrealistically low.

     What people in both of those camps are missing is that, once a home is tested for radon and the level exceeds 4.0, then the homeowner’s options are limited to either fixing it by installing a mitigation system with an average cost of between $2,500 and $5,000, or listing it in the property disclosure form when you sell the home. It’s a fact that materially affects the value of the property, whether you believe radon is real or not, and must be disclosed. 

    So if a homebuyer does not test for radon during their inspection period, and the buyer they sell to years later does, then they get stuck with paying for a radon mitigation system or having the high radon level noted in the property disclosure that scares off potential buyers.

    Our point is that testing for radon before buying a home makes good financial sense, especially if the home is in an area with a large percentage of tested homes that were over the 4.0 level. You can check your zip code at the Florida at the Department of Health’s website at: 

http://dchpexternalapps.doh.state.fl.us/radon/default.aspx

    The statistics range from 57.6% in zip code 32615 down to 10.5% in zip 32653 in Alachua County. So, are you willing to gamble that you are buying a home with a low radon level and it won’t cost you thousands of dollars later, or just go ahead and test to know for sure? 

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Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about “RADON":

• Is a radon mitigation fan required to be on a dedicated circuit breaker/fuse in the electric panel?

• What happens to a radon test result if the windows were opened, the test device moved, or there was any other evidence of tampering during the test? 

• Where do I find the Florida laws regarding radon?

• Can I test vacant land for radon before building a house? 

• Can the seller tamper with a homebuyer's radon test to change the results?

• How long does it take to get the results of a radon test? 

• Will opening the windows reduce the radon level in a house?

• How was it determined that between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year are caused by radon?

• Can a homebuyer do their own radon test for a real estate transaction with a self-test kit?

• What is the danger of radon in well water?

• What are the symptoms of radon poisoning? 

• Does Florida have radon?

• Where does radon come from? 

• For how many years does an old radon test result remain valid?

• Should homeowners get a pre-listing radon test before selling their home?

• What are a homebuyer's options when the radon test comes back high (4.0 pico-curies/liter or more)? 

• Do granite countertops emit radon?

• How can I tell if a house has a radon mitigation system? 

• Can a mobile/manufactured home have a high radon problem?

• Do I need to test for radon when buying a condominium? 

• What does a radon mitigation contractor do to lower the radon level in a home? 

• Will the radon test come back sky-high in a house that has been empty and closed-up for months? 

• What is radon? Should I be concerned about it?

• Should I buy a house with a high radon level? 

• What is the average radon level of indoor and outdoor air in America?

• What is the operating cost of a radon mitigation system? 

• Should I buy a house with a radon mitigation system?

• Does the buyer or seller of a home pay for radon mitigation when the radon test comes back high? 

• What is the probability of having high radon in a Florida house?

• How quickly do I need to reduce a high radon level in my house? 

• Does a home inspector check for radon?

• What are the problems with underground return air ducts? 

• What is the probability of having high radon in a Florida house?

• What factors can change radon test levels up or down?

    Visit our RADON page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.