Thanks... I read somewhere that it should be split between buyer and seller, which didn't really make sense to me.

There is no hard and fast rule. Like anything, it's a negotiation. If you had a stubborn seller you'd have to decide if you wanted to lose the house over this. Radon mitigation is not terribly expensive.

It's totally negotiable between buyer and seller where I am, as is any part of the inspection items.
Mitigation can cost between $800 - $1,300 here.

It usually is negotiable, in our case several years ago the seller paid for the mitigation.

I suppose its negotiable, but normally it is an issue that scares away buyers and sellers pay for it just to be able to sell the house. I guess in a truly irrational sellers market some buyers would pay for it.

The sellers paid for ours in the house we purchased in December.

Hi!

We're paying for ours on the house that we are selling. It will be done on Friday, and cost us $750 in NE Ohio. This includes the post 48 hour re-test. In this area it is typically paid for by the seller.

Elaine

We are buying a house that tested high for radon. Our sellers are paying the entire cost of the mitigation. I think it's about $1200. We are in eastern Iowa. In our area, radon mitigation is typically paid for by the seller.

Thanks everyone! We are going to ask them to pay it but for some reason I think they are going to ask us to split it. Not sure if it will be worth it to us to lose the house, but it probably depends on what else comes up in the inspection report, which we'll be getting today.

We just had our radon mitigation system installed and the radon retested. It came back at 0.9 pCI/L, way below the EPA standard. It had been at 6.2, so this is a relief. We're to get it retested in two years or if we incur any foundational changes/damage. The sellers paid for the entire cost.

You're lucky your seller is pleasant to work with. Ours is incredibly belligerent and doesn't want to pay for anything including a mitigation system for a 5.1 reading. He did his own test (opened the basement door, no doubt) and came back at 3.0 and somehow thinks this overrides the first test even though the average is still in our favor. He's moving to a far cheaper, Southern state, so I hope he'll wise up and realize that $1000 isn't a big deal since he's making a tax-free profit of at least $300K. Closing is next week Tuesday and I have to be out of my current home by Wed, so I'm not enjoying this game of chicken.

Prosperity: Yes, our sellers have been great! We made the offer in late March, and they accepted our price. They've given us three months to sell our house, which is now sale pending. (They did have a 72-hour kickout clause, but never imposed it.) They paid for everything from the inspection that we asked them too. Obviously, they are motivated!

We are selling our house and will be paying for radon mediation. They paid for the radon test and the home inspection. The radon mediation will be about $810. We are also paying for some electrical updates that will come to about $1400. I'm glad the buyer offered above the asking price!

I am the listing agent on a house under contract. The house is new and is built with a grave tile bed under the foundation. The radon was high. The buzz in the builders circles was that you either have a dry basement (gravel tile provides great drainage) with higher radon levels, or a wet basement (no gravel) with acceptable radon levels. My seller is realistic enough to know that a high radon level will kill potential sales, and now that he knows it, we have to disclose it. He paid for it and the deal looks very solid. Remediation here was about $1300.
Jo

When we sold our Michigan house the cost was split between the buyers and us. It was figured in the closing. But, our realtor also represented the buyers....maybe that made a difference.

We are the buyers and we did split the cost of radon mitigation with the sellers ( aprx 950 )I felt they should have paid for it all, but we did not argue with them.
We are not using a realtor, we have lawyers doing the paper work for us, perhaps a realtor would have made sure we wrote the agreement up beforehand stating the seller would pay for it if mitigation was needed. Our mistake.

"The buzz in the builders circles was that you either have a dry basement (gravel tile provides great drainage) with higher radon levels, or a wet basement (no gravel) with acceptable radon levels."

I've never heard of that. Are they saying the gravel/stone is the cause of the radon issue? Around here it is standard practice to use stone under the basement floor. Many builders seem to skip the necessary step of using plastic between the stone and concrete floor, which is part of the problem. We have stone, plastic and a vent pipe around the entire basement under the plastic that then runs up through the house and through the attic, a passive radon system. We can add a fan to it if we need to. Radon is often high where we are.

Anything done by the seller will be done at the lowest cost.

A typcal radon mitigation system has a fan running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The seller will have ZERO concern for the operating costs.
Cheap motors wear out, fail, an in the mean time have higher operating costs.

Get some money held in escrow and have YOUR contractor perform the work.

The radon issue is a negotiation between buyer and seller. Reasons are because first the seller has lived in the house with no concern about it or any bad health. Does not usually see why they need to provide this for the next family. The EPA admits that there has never been a documentable incidence of anyone getting cancer from a household basement. They also don't really know what proper levels really are. This number(4.0) was selected arbitrarily. They have difficulty converting hours worked in a mine to hours spent in a residential basement. Most radon deaths involve mine workers. If you have ever smoked there is an unquantifiable and untested possibility that radon may then be more harmful. But people who smoke have already chosen to put their lungs at risk so why would a seller have to protect them from radon ?Some sellers just don't have the money to install this either.

Buyers can be frightened away from getting a house they love if they have not really researched radon. In truth they put their children at more risk every time they let them play in the sun or ride in the car. Radon ,by the way, is everywhere like air.

Some houses may be way off the charts (over 20) . A buyer should test in all seasons before deciding to mitigate. This is impossible for a real estate transaction. The buyer should be aware that it is best that they choose the system. Roof exhaust systems are effective but will cost them about $700 a year in increased utility costs. It will also need about $500 in routine maintenance every 4 years or so. Also in cold areas like New England it should be shut off in winter because the exhaust pipe on the roof blocks up with ice. Ironically winter is when radon is highest. They are better off choosing their own system and installing it themselves if radon keeps them awake at night.

They might ask for the seller to give them some money back at closing for this. That may be appropriate in a buyers market, or if the house is in bad condition overall. Also if they overbid , didn't get closing costs. But if its a sellers market, or the seller has already spent a lot of money on the condition of the house and its nice, or is paying buyers closing costs, the buyer might be wise to consider installing it when they are the homeowner and leave it out of the transaction. I have seen many a good deal turn bitter over this issue, even if a resolution is found.

If you are a buyer, always do your research so that you pick the radon mitigation contractor that best fits you. There are all types of contractors and all types of solutions. If you are concerned about safety, ask for a below 2.0 warranty. Do not allow the seller to choose. In most cases, they will understandably choose the cheapest contractor. Interior systems are always the best. To get the best system, the radon mitigation system should control the entire foot print of the property. The system also should be at least a 4" system to reduce noise and increase efficiency of radon reduction. We can help any client in Illinois to get the best by calling us at 630-325-8005. Some realtors recommend contractors who are the cheapest. I would recommend the contractor that provides the best solution and lowest radon levels. Another benefit to the right radon system is vapor and moisture removal.