Northern Virginia Real Estate Podcast with The Gillies Team - Why You Need to Test for Radon Gas

Why You Need to Test for Radon Gas

08/07/17 • -1 min

Northern Virginia Real Estate Podcast with The Gillies Team

Having the radon level tested in a home is a very important step in the real estate process that can actually save lives.
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Radon gas is something that’s around us all the time and could impact the real estate process. This is because it can become concentrated in places like basements, where it is typically tested for. So what does this mean for you?

Radon gas exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. This is a topic that comes up a lot in the real estate process because it’s a standard contingency in our area. Thankfully, there are a few ways to identify and deal with it.

Whether you’re on the buyer or seller side of a real estate transaction, you are likely to go through the radon testing process.

In most cases, this involves having an inspector come to the house to place a test that will read radon levels for 48 hours. After that time, it will give you an average reading from which you can determine whether or not there is a problem that needs to be dealt with.

Specifically, you will look whether the test is above or below the 4.0 EPA action level. If the test comes in above this level, however, it doesn’t mean that you will be unable to buy or sell the house.

The radon level can be reduced through a very standard process which will leave the home safe.

The radon level can be reduced through a very standard process which will leave the home safe. Usually at this point a contractor who consistently, if not exclusively, does radon work will come out to the property and install a system that pulls air from below the house in order to prevent radon from concentrating.

Thankfully the process is neither complex nor is it cost prohibitive—usually costing in the $850 to $1,000 price range.

If you are a buyer and this device is installed by the seller in the property you’re purchasing, the process will be as simple as periodically checking the device’s u-shaped dial to make sure it is working properly and that your house is protected.

If you want any more information or have any other que...

Looking to sell in the Stafford/Fredericksburg area? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

The radon level can be reduced through a very standard process which will leave the home safe.

Previous Episode

The Keys to Staging Your Home While Still Living in It

Staging your home for the market involves depersonalizing, decluttering, neutralizing, and three other key points to remember.

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Looking to sell in the Stafford/Fredericksburg area? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

If you need to stage your home to prepare it for the market while you’re still living in it, there are four main points you need to remember to maximize its value. First, you need to depersonalize, declutter, and neutralize. These three things are at the core of what it means to stage and get your house ready. The reason why you depersonalize and take down family portraits, kids’ trophies and other personal items is that we want the person who walks into your home to envision themselves living there. Your home is a place where you have created memories, but when the time comes to sell we need the buyer to be able to make that same connection and feel like it is a place where they will make their own family memories. When you declutter and neutralize, you’re making sure you’re not distracting buyers with bold colors or too many things in your house so they can focus on the things that make your house great. Second, work to make sure each room has a purpose. Oftentimes there are rooms in a house that are sparsely used or used for a purpose the average buyer is unlikely to copy. For example, many homeowners use their formal living room as a kids’ play room. Think about repurposing this room as a 2nd living area or an office – these are uses buyers are likely to see value in and can envision using it in a similar way. If you can show value in each room and present it as a place buyers can see themselves using we are likely to get a higher return on the square footage.

Depersonalizing, decluttering, and neutralizing are at the core of what it means to stage your house.

Next Episode

Join Us for Our 2017 Client Appreciation Party

Our annual client appreciation party is coming up at the end of the month, and you are cordially invited.

Looking to buy in the Stafford/Fredericksburg area? Perform a full home search

Looking to sell in the Stafford/Fredericksburg area? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Our annual client appreciation party is coming up quickly and we’re making thorough preparations to make it our best one yet! These parties are important to us because they give us the opportunity to see you and your families, catch up, and have a great time doing so. They also give us a chance to say thanks for trusting us with your homes and with your friends and family we’re fortunate to hear from so often when real estate needs arise. We'd love to have you join us on September 30th from 1pm to 5pm. If you haven't already received your invitation in the mail, just give us a call or send us an email to RSVP and we will send you all the details.

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This is our chance to say thank you for trusting us.

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As always, we’ll have live music, plenty of food and drinks, and a whole range of fun activities for the kids to enjoy. We couldn’t be more excited about it, and we can’t wait to see you there! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be happy to speak with you.