Laundry Facilities, Alarms, Lawn Sprinklers,  and Other Extras

• “Kick all the tires”.  The things you forgot to inspect can cost you a great deal to repair later on. Ask to have inoperative systems repaired as a condition of sale, or use them as bargaining points to negotiate for a reduced price.

 

Test for Radon and Lead

• Radon.  Radon is a radioactive gas that accumulates in buildings in all areas of the United States. It enters through a foundation’s floor and walls then becomes distributed throughout a structure. It arises from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Any building can have a radon problem, new or old, well-sealed or drafty. Radon gas is listed as a Class One human lung carcinogen. Prolonged exposure to high levels of it can cause lung cancer. As a result, the EPA and the office of the Surgeon General recommend that all homes be tested for the presence of radon. Radon is invisible and odorless, but there is a simple test that you or your inspector can perform for high radon levels. (A quick Internet search for the term “radon test” will lead you to several tests that you can order online.) If your property test reveals a high level of radon, you can invest in a mitigation system that will ventilate the basement to keep radon levels low. However, be aware that buying houses or other properties that test positively for high radon levels is often not a good idea. You don’t want your own family or your tenants exposed to it.  Its presence can make your building harder to sell and possibly make you the object of lawsuits if your tenants become ill and sue you for renting them an apartment or office in a building where you knew the level of radon to be high.

 

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