Can a Radon Mitigation System Increase or Decrease a Home's Value?
Considering testing for radon in your home but concerned about what you’ll find? If you’re wondering how much a radon mitigation system will hurt your home value, you may be in for a pleasant surprise.
Instead of hurting your home’s value, there are several reasons why a radon mitigation system may actually be a good thing for your property:
- Radon mitigation systems are highly effective.
- You enjoy the security of knowing the risk was addressed.
- It’s one less step in the home inspection process.
- Radon gas doesn’t mean the rest of your home is dangerous.
- A mitigation system tells others that your home was well kept.
From peace of mind to system effectiveness, there are a lot of reasons why radon mitigation systems are desirable. Keep reading to learn more about why a system may actually help boost your home’s value.
Radon Mitigation Systems Are Highly Effective
The presence of radon doesn’t necessarily compromise the safety of your home. Allowing it to go unaddressed does. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that some mitigation systems are 99 percent effective at removing this gas, so there’s no reason to avoid testing. Hundreds of thousands of homeowners across the country have successfully reduced the radon levels in their homes.
Many effective methods for reducing radon levels exist, so you can have the confidence of knowing you’re getting the best system for your property:
- Active Soil Depressurization (Interior)
- Active Soil Depressurization (Exterior)
- Active Soil Depressurization (Slab)
- Crawlspace Sub-Membrane Depressurization
Unsure where to start when considering radon mitigation? Check out What Should Homeowners Look for in a Radon Mitigation System.
Additional Security
What’s worse than knowing you have the presence of radon gas in your home? Not knowing! If you’re aware of the presence of radon gas and you took the initiative to install a radon mitigation system, you’re protected. You don’t have to wonder whether there’s a silent, odorless, dangerous gas slowly harming your family.
However, for individuals looking at a home without a mitigation system, they may be left wondering whether it’s safe. Without a test, there is literally no way of knowing whether a home has elevated levels. Even if every other home on the block is radon-free, your home may still have elevated levels that put your family in danger.
It’s One Less Step for Home Buyers
For anyone interested in purchasing a home, there are tons of hoops to jump through. From securing financing to moving in, the entire process is a headache. Adding a radon inspection and possible mitigation system installation into the mix adds another layer of difficulty to the process that could hurt a home’s marketability.
A radon mitigation system helps confirm that a house is truly move-in ready. Furthermore, Consumer Reports explains that "relying on just one radon test as part of the home inspection is a mistake." That’s because these short-term radon tests aren’t accurate enough to truly gauge the risk or even provide an accurate count. Radon levels change daily. If a home is up for bid in a hot market, buyers can’t wait for the results of a long-term test to come in, which typically takes 3 months or longer, depending.
However, potential buyers interested in a home that already has a radon mitigation system installed can skip all those steps. As long as the mitigation system is in good operating order, radon gas won’t be an issue in that home.
Radon Hot Spots
Radon gas can literally be found anywhere in the country. Furthermore, two houses right next to each other can have widely varying amounts. The presence of radon gas in your home doesn’t reflect poorly on your location, construction quality, or home condition. It’s simply a fact that some homes have problem levels of this radioactive gas while others do not.
Radon is a naturally occurring material found in the soil throughout the country. Although some areas are more prone to it, you can find it anywhere there’s uranium breaking down in the soil, rock, or water around your home. In fact, the CDC notes that about 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. have elevated levels of radon.
Signs of Proper Upkeep
If you took the time and effort to test for radon and have a mitigation system installed, potential buyers will know that your home was well maintained. This invisible gas is easy to ignore, so taking the time to address it probably means that you cared for other more obvious areas of your home that can suffer from neglect. This includes your roof, HVAC system, appliances, and other major home components and systems.
If there’s one thing that can cause hiccups during the inspection process, it’s a poorly maintained home that has issues. A radon mitigation system sends the signal that the rest of your home will probably be in good condition as well.
Conclusion
If you have discovered the presence of radon gas in your home, don’t panic. Yes, about 20,000 lung cancer deaths are attributed to this gas each year, but a professional company can quickly pin down the source and come up with a remediation plan. In fact, the repairs for most homes are about the same cost as other common household repairs, so you’re likely not looking at a huge expense.
While radon gas exposure is serious, it’s not a death knell for your property value. When properly addressed with the appropriate mitigation system, it can actually reassure potential buyers that your home is safe, well maintained, and move-in ready.