Buying and selling homes in radon affected areas

If you are thinking of buying a home in an area affected by radon you should :

Establish whether the house is located in a radon affected area. Contact the local authority environmental health department or NRPB for the latest survey information.

If the answer is no – you need take no further action regarding radon.

If the answer is yes – you will need to seek further information (see below)

Ask the current owner whether they have had the property tested for radon.

If the house has not been tested, jump to options available

If the house has been tested ask to see the test result :-

If the result is well below the government recommended Action Level of 200 Bq/m3 you probably need not take any further action regarding radon.

If the result is close to the government recommended Action Level of 200 Bq/m3, say 150 - 250 Bq/m3 you should consider taking further action :

• Continue with the purchase but consider renegotiating the price with the seller, move in and then consider options for carrying out remedial work

If the result is well above the government recommended Action Level of 200 Bq/m3 you will need to take further action:

• Continue with the purchase but consider renegotiating the price with the seller, move in and carry out remedial work as soon as practicable.

If the result had been high when originally tested but the house owner has carried out work to reduce the radon level then :

• Ask the seller to show you the work that has been undertaken
• Establish whether there are any running costs involved
• Ask to see written confirmation that a retest has been carried that demonstrates that the radon level has been successfully reduced to well below the government recommended Action Level of 200 Bq/m3
• Once you have confirmation, proceed with purchase of the property ensuring to maintain remedial measures, this is particularly important where a fan powered system has been installed.
  
  

If the house has not been tested then you have several options :

Establish the likely risk of there being a problem with the property. The local authority environmental health department may be able to assist. The HPA Radon report service can advise on whether a property is located within a radon Affected Area and can provide local data summaries. Unfortunately no information on tests in a specific property can be provided.

Continue with the purchase and test the house once you have moved in – this is probably the best approach. You may also wish to renegotiate the price or agree a bond to cover remedial costs should they subsequently prove necessary.

Ask for the house to be tested before continuing with the purchase. This will inevitably slow down the sale of the property. HPA can advise on measurement options.

If the house was built after 1988 it may incorporate radon protection.

Click here to take you to 'Protecting New Buildngs'

Important

Radon is no different than other minor building problem such as rising damp or timber rot which is routinely dealt with at the time of house purchase.

Radon should not be seen as a reason for not buying a particular house.