Radon Search
(Last Updated: 14/04/2023)
10/11/2022
50
6 min read
Key Takeaways
- The radon search is an additional conveyancing search you can get when buying a property. You can check our radon map to see if you're located in an affected area.
- Radon is a radioactive gas, which can seriously affect yours and your family's health.
- If you're buying a new build property, you can still be affected by radon gas. If building regulations are put in place, however, you may have protective measures installed.
- The radon search costs £42 INC VAT and the turnaround time is 2 working hours*. You can read an example report below.
Low
Cost
Delivered within
2 hours*
Data from
Local Authority
What is a radon search?
Radon search, often called a radon risk report, is an additional, specialist property search, which considers whether the house you are looking to buy is located within a radon affected area.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which you cannot see, smell or taste and comes from rocks and soil in many places throughout the UK, but in some more than others. It can cause lung cancer, particularly in smokers and ex-smokers.
Cash buyers are not tied down to a mortgage lender's requirements, so they can choose for themselves which property searches to get. The recommendation to buy the radon risk report is normally flagged up within an Environmental or a Local Authority Search, if you choose to buy these.
If you are buying with a mortgage, your lender will require you to buy these two searches and, if a radon hazard is mentioned there, your lender might make it a condition for you to buy a radon risk report before getting a mortgage. Additionally, your solicitor may well be aware that the property you are examining is in a radon risk area and require you to book this search.
Do I need radon search?
- 1
Professional Opinion
If you suspect a property you're interested in buying is located in an affected area, then you will need a radon report. This first section of the report will highlight if there is a potential risk involving your property and if the answer is yes, then further action may be required. You will be able to read about:
- Professional opinion
- Search results
- Site plan
The report gives an estimation of the probability that the property is above the action level for radon. The action level is the point where the volume of radon which may be present in buildings in the area might be a serious health risk. Even with a 'yes' it is not necessarily the case that the property has a radon problem.
The only way to be sure is to carry out a further individual radon measurement, which the Health Protection Agency recommends should be performed on any property found to be within a radon affected area.
- 2
Useful contacts
Service Provider | Address | Website |
|---|---|---|
Service Provider Public Health England / UKRadon | Address Public information access office, Public Health England, Wellington House, 133-155 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8UG | Website |
This is the main authority which deals with radon, but you will be able to find more contacts in the example above.
- 3
Overview & recommendations
The report recommends that if the property in question is in a radon affected area, then you should ask the owner if they have previously taken a radon measurement. If they have, then you should find out if results were above the radon action level.
If so, then you should find out if remedial measures were installed and then if radon levels were subsequently retested and if the retest confirmed the effectiveness of the measures.
It is important to note that there is presently no public record of individual radon measurements: you can only obtain previous test results from the seller. Additionally, changes to a building or its use can significantly affect radon levels, particularly if they involve alterations to heating and ventilation.
Where is radon highest in UK?
You can check the radon map below, to see if you are located in an affected area.
- 4
Radon
In this section, you will find a site plan with a search buffer of up to 100 metres.
The radon search will not only analyse your property, but the surrounding ones as well. A percentage of properties estimated to be affected will be highlighted and based on this figure, further advice is offered. You will most likely need to perform a more in-depth radon test on your home.
Worried about buying in a radon affected area?
You can agree on a radon bond with the seller. This is a retained fund negotiated between the buyer and seller and allows for the purchase to go ahead without undue delay. Should radon reduction work be required then the purchaser is better protected, whereas if the result is low, then the seller does not lose sale proceeds.
The agreement should allow enough time for the test to be completed and for any subsequent work required to be carried.
Fixed fee of £42 INC VAT | Delivered within 2 working hours*
Frequently Asked Questions
WORRY
TEST
BUILDING
Written by:
Andrew Boast
Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.
Reviewed by:
Caragh Bailey
Caragh is an excellent writer and copy editor of books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey, property law and mortgage-related articles.
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