Make Sure You Protect Your Chevy Chase Home from Radon!

In a recent study by Harvard University, radon was ranked as the number one in-home hazard in America. Many home buyers in the Chevy Chase area and nation-wide are concerned about the influx of radon in their homes. As a Chevy Chase real estate agent, it’s part of my duty and responsibility to help my seller clients avoid the potential issues surrounding this naturally-occurring hazard.

For those of you who don’t know, radon is an invisible and odorless radioactive gas. About one in fifteen homes contains high levels of it, so millions of Americas are exposed to this in their lifetime. In order to spread awareness about this incredibly important issue, the Surgeon General of the United States has designated next week as Federal Radon Action week. Health agencies across the country will spend time promoting the dangers of radon poisoning, which is actually the leading cause of lung cancer in the nation. Radon testing is encouraged during this week of awareness.

As a homeowner in the Chevy Chase, MD area, it’s important to understand the dangers of radon and the importance of testing your home for the gas. Here’s why:

It’s not isolated to one specific area. No one geographic location or type of home is prone to radon. The radioactive gas manifests itself in all kinds of homes in a variety of areas, so if you haven’t tested your home for radon in the past two years, now would be a good time to do so.

Home buyers in the Chevy Chase area will often ask if a home has been tested. Due to the growing awareness surrounding radon, today’s buyers are concerned about its presence in a home they’d want to buy. They’ll want to know if your home has been tested and, if there were elevated radon levels, whether or not they were reduced.

In order to avoid the potential complications that surround radon during your Chevy Chase home sale, get it tested a few months before you put it on the market! That way, you have time to address the issue at hand and get rid of the problem. It will put buyers’ minds at ease. You can opt for a short-term test, which will put a testing kit into your home for a two day time frame, or a long term test, which will remain in your home for 90 days. If you’re listing your home, we recommend using a long term test because it will give you a more accurate indication of fluctuating radon levels in your home year-round. You should consider less obvious parts of your home when testing, such as the basement, as buyers will likely want to have more information about radon levels in that area.

If have you have any questions about testing your Chevy Chase home for radon, contact the state radon office or visit epa.gov/radon. You can also contact me with any questions you may have, and I’ll put you in touch with someone who can help you get your radon testing underway. I’m not just here to help you sell your home—I’m here to make the process less stressful on you. If I can help minimize complication in any way, I’m happy to do so. I hope to hear from you soon!

Melinda Estridge
The Estridge Group-Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
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