radon Gas

jewel22_2

Hi,
Just got survey back and its suggests we look into the fact we have 1% risk of Radon Gas, is this something to really worry about? and if it shows up in your Survey what would you do? lots of houses do seem to sell in that area, my main worry would be... will we be able to resale?
thank you

BobProperty

Have a search through the forum, it has been discussed on here within the last year I think.
Radon is naturally produced from the rocks below, there are steps you can take to prevent excess levels in a house but they aren't necessarily cheap if you need to do them.
Where is the property?

Rick62

I had this when I sold my property in Henley-on-Thames, the buyers did some search showing there was a 2 or 3% risk of Radon (a radioactive gas from rocks I think). I had to lodge £1,000 with my lawyer for 6 months, the buyers got a test kit for about £30 which you leave in place for 3 months. The property was clear, so I got my £1,000 back. Had it not been they would have had to either increase ventilation underneath the property or maybe line underneath the property which would have cost no more than the £1,000.

Rick62

I had this when I sold my property in Henley-on-Thames, the buyers did some search showing there was a 2 or 3% risk of Radon (a radioactive gas from rocks I think). I had to lodge £1,000 with my lawyer for 6 months, the buyers got a test kit for about £30 which you leave in place for 3 months. The property was clear, so I got my £1,000 back. Had it not been they would have had to either increase ventilation underneath the property or maybe line underneath the property which would have cost no more than the £1,000.

jewel22_2

Rick62 wrote:

I had this when I sold my property in Henley-on-Thames, the buyers did some search showing there was a 2 or 3% risk of Radon (a radioactive gas from rocks I think). I had to lodge £1,000 with my lawyer for 6 months, the buyers got a test kit for about £30 which you leave in place for 3 months. The property was clear, so I got my £1,000 back. Had it not been they would have had to either increase ventilation underneath the property or maybe line underneath the property which would have cost no more than the £1,000.

i think i will be speaking to my solicitor to do this,I dont want to upset the sellers but i need to cover my self and that is the only way. Hopefully thay will get their money back too.
thank you

Rick62

See if they are happy to. It is not generally such a big deal (apart from places like Cornwall which are rife with Radon). I think it is fairly new to do a search for Radon, so when I bought my house 2 yrs previously it never came up. If it is low level then the cost would usually be well below £1000 anyway, maybe just adding a couple of ventilation bricks.

bootman

I think a lot of houses have this come up in searches. For us it's never been an issue. Last 2 houses had it come up. You want the house you take your chances.

clairehi

1% risk?

Our buyers asked us for a similar arrangement and our sol. told us they were trying it on. it would be virtually impossible to extract the money from them after the sale.

the surveyor is covering their a**. this would never have come up in a survey more than 5 years ago.

jewel22_2

clairehi wrote:

1% risk?

Our buyers asked us for a similar arrangement and our sol. told us they were trying it on. it would be virtually impossible to extract the money from them after the sale.

the surveyor is covering their a**. this would never have come up in a survey more than 5 years ago.

i think i just panicked a bit, i have looked into it and i agree the surveyer is probably covering himself, i have decided to get a test kit when we move in and take it from there, i am almost sure it will be clear and if not we will pay out the costs to remedy
thank you

Victoria_Falls

Is it 1%? or between 0-1% if it is there is nothing to worry about at all.

If it is less than 1% there shouldn't be in need of any further action.

"Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally. It has no taste, smell or colour; in fact, special devices are needed to detect it. Radon gas is everywhere, usually at levels that pose negligible risk. Even in areas the Government has identified as affected by radon, most homes do not have a radon problem. However, some do – but in affected houses the problem of radon can usually be tackled with simple, effective and relatively inexpensive measures.

The Government recommends that people in affected areas test their houses for radon.

A straightforward approach to radon gas

For a property sale in a radon affected area, the best way for both buyer and seller to approach the radon problem is openly and straightforwardly. If a house hasn't been tested for radon, it might seem that deciding on a fair price will prove complicated, but other people have faced the problem before, and some simple solutions have been worked out; they are described below.

• Ask if the house has been tested.
Sellers are not legally obliged to volunteer the information they know, but if you ask for it they must give it - so if the house has been tested the seller will tell you. Ask to see the letter giving the result.

If the result is over 200Bq/m3, then there is a problem. But it is not necessarily the case that the 'higher the level, the greater the problem'. A house might have quite high levels of radon but only need simple measures to reduce them. A lot depends on the house's construction. It is also important to emphasise that levels vary greatly - some houses have been found with well over 1,000Bq/m3, so a level of, for example, 220Bq/m3, although needing action, is not exceptional.

The seller may already have taken measures to reduce indoor radon levels. If so, he or she should have taken the radon test again - in which case you should ask to see the result of the second test.

• What if the house has not been tested?
If the house has not been tested you should take the radon test soon after you move in. Test results can vary according to the householders' lifestyles. Even if more than three months are left before the present occupants move out, it may be better that you take the test - it will reflect your lifestyle.

The radon bond
This enables both buyer and seller to make a fair arrangement about the costs of any radon work needed, if the test result is above the Action Level.

How do I arrange a price with the seller?
No seller should be asked to accept a lower price for a house just because it is in a radon affected area - or if his or her radon level has tested below the Action Level. Very few houses are affected by radon problems so any price adjustments should be made on a house-by-house basis.

If the radon level has tested above the Action Level, the buyer and seller should agree on a fair price reduction to reflect the cost of radon reduction work.

The BRE favours the radon bond as a solution to this problem and it has proved popular with buyers, sellers and financial institutions alike. Buyer and seller agree on a likely sum of money, enough to cover typical radon reduction costs. The money is taken out of the buyer's paying price and held by a third party (for example, a solicitor) until the test result is known and any reduction measures have been done. Both parties sign a contract that lays down how the bond will work. If the test shows there is no problem, the bond money goes to the seller. If the test shows there is a problem, reduction work is paid for from the bond money; any excess is returned to the seller. For the bond to work, it must be fair to both parties. It must reflect reasonable costs, not the most expensive possible solution. The bond's life must be realistic, allowing - for example - nine months from completion of house sale to a radon test result, with another six months for reduction work if needed"

Take a look at:

https://www.bre.co.uk/radon/

https://www.defra.gov.uk/ENVIRONMENT/RADIOACTIVITY/radon/index.htm

https://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/default.htm
:T