Real Estate Investing :Don?t Be Afraid of a Radon Mitigation System When Buying a Home

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Radon can be a problem for any home.  A naturally occurring, radioactive gas found underground, radon can enter any home through cracks in a home’s foundation or in well water where it becomes trapped and cannot dissipate. In high levels, radon can cause cancer.

Radon is everywhere. The issue is the level - the EPA recommends that homes that test at 4.0 pCi/L or higher have a mitigation system installed. It can be in one home on a street and not any others or in all homes on a street but one. In Connecticut, Hartford County has the lowest reported levels in the state but some towns in Hartford County are notorious for the high levels of radon.

Weather affects radon levels. And if the soil around the home or nearby has been disturbed, radon levels can go up or down in a home.

Radon can be reduced to safe levels with a mitigation system. This is what a radon mitigation system might look like. 





Essentially it’s a pipe inserted into the ground with a fan that sucks the radon up and out of your basement.

As a home buyer, you may think, “If there’s a radon mitigation system in the home then there is a problem with radon and therefore a danger.”

You may also think, “When I go to sell this house, no one will want to buy it with radon in it.”

Both are reasonable concerns.

But since radon levels over time can change due to weather, soil conditions, or nearby construction, a radon test below the level of 4.0 pCi/L can give you a false sense of security. What if the test was done improperly? What if conditions have changed?


Personally, I’d prefer to have a radon mitigation system installed in my home, especially if I were going to be spending any time in the basement. I can understand a buyer’s concern about an installed radon mitigation system but isn’t it safer to have one installed than not? And couldn’t it be used a selling point rather than a negative?

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