This is the second post in a blog series on home inspection costs to expect when you buy a Northern Virginia home. You can read Part 1 here.
Home Inspection Costs – How Much Will Your Radon Test Cost?
If you’re buying a single family home or townhome, another thing to factor into your home inspection costs is a Radon inspection, which usually runs about $100 to $175 (Radon is less common in condo communities, but you can always still test for it if you’re buying a condo).
The topic of what exactly is Radon is the subject for another blog post, but suffice it to say that it is common all over North America and is dangerous when it is found in elevated levels. If elevated levels of Radon are present, it’s an easy fix that costs around $800 to $1000, but it’s worth testing during your inspection period to find out if the levels are elevated. Elevated levels of Radon are found in around 25% to 30% of homes in Northern Virginia. If your inspection reveals that the levels are elevated, you can negotiate with the seller to have it remediated.
Will You Need to Order Any Other Inspections?
In most cases, a single home inspection is all that is necessary when you purchase a home. However, in the rare instance when the inspector notices evidence of a major issue (i.e. foundation or significant structural issues), they will recommend evaluation by a specialist.
A Northern Virginia real estate contract gives buyers the right to as many inspections as they wish to have during their inspection period, so if you decide that further evaluation of any issue is needed, you can schedule more inspections. Will this add to your home inspection costs? Absolutely, but it’s worth feeling 100% comfortable with your home purchase, so it’s important to further investigate any major issues.
Since inspections by specialists are more limited in their scope, they are usually less expensive than standard home inspections. For instance, it would typically cost you $250 - $350 to have a structural engineer come out to inspect the foundation of a property.
Read Part 3 in my blog series on home inspection costs in Northern Virginia.
Email me at DarrenRobertsonHomes@gmail.com for a list of the top 10 single family homes you can buy in Northern Virginia for under $400,000!