Radon is a radioactive gas, which comes from the minute particles of uranium naturally present in all rocks and soils. It is, and always has been, a part of the world we live in.
Although exposure to particularly high levels of radon may pose a health risk, particularly to smokers, the gas disperses quickly and easily in the open air, and as a result, background levels are barely detectable. In an enclosed space – like a house – levels tend to be higher, for the simple reason that the gas cannot escape so quickly into the atmosphere. Nevertheless, in most parts of the country, even indoor radon levels remain extremely low – detectable only by the most sensitive instruments.
Radon levels are measured in something called “becquerels per cubic metre.” Most homes in the UK register a score of around 20. However, geological conditions in certain parts of the country can lead to higher than average levels. In such areas, the Health Protection Agency (HPA), which conducts radon surveys for government departments and local councils as well as private householders, recommends that indoor radon levels above an “Action Level” of 200 should be reduced. This is normally tackled by installing a “radon sump,” which vents the gas harmlessly into the atmosphere with the aid of a small electric fan under the floor. In the case of older properties, these can usually be fitted from the outside, without any internal disruption. To conform with current building regulations, all new homes in these areas have to be equipped with them.
If you are buying a property in a high-radon area, then your survey or mortgage valuation will generally mention the fact. However, this is basically no more than a standard paragraph inserted as a matter of course. It does not necessarily mean that the property concerned is actually affected. Indeed, many homes in so-called high-radon areas display levels no higher than the national average.
However, if you are concerned, and would like to check things out, the HPA produces a free radon information pack which explains all you need to know – including how you can go about obtaining a radon measurement. To request a pack, go to the HPA’s website, www.UKradon.org
Friday 29 October 2010
Monday 25 October 2010
I am selling my home,and it has been suggested that I should get legal indemnity insurance. What is this ?
Legal indemnity insurance basically protects the purchaser of a property against the possibility of financial loss or third-party claim arising from any shortcoming in the conveyance. Since you have been recommended to take out this cover, it suggests that your solicitor has identified a potential problem.
What that problem might be, I obviously can’t say. However, one of the main areas where this type of insurance comes into its own is over issues of title or ownership – particularly in cases where so-called possessory title is involved. This sometimes crops up with older properties which haven’t changed hands for a long time. It means that although the current owners may have had use of a piece of land for many years, there is no official record of them having full legal title.
Another common application is in the case of properties which may have been improved or extended, but where the owner neglected for whatever reason to gain Building Regulations approval for the work.
These are precisely the sort of glitches that would normally set all the legal alarm bells ringing. Legal indemnity insurance doesn’t actually solve the underlying problem, of course – but by literally indemnifying the purchaser against the costs of any future legal challenges, it enables the sale to proceed in the normal way.
Other problems where it can be useful include lost or poorly-worded legal documents, issues of access, restrictive covenants, or even properties built on unmade roads (where it provides protection against any future demands from the local authority for contributions to the cost of having the road made up).
Since legal indemnity insurance is designed to help ensure that property transactions are not unduly delayed or even prevented from going through altogether, it obviously benefits the seller as well providing protection for the buyer – which is why it can be taken out by either party. A single premium payment provides cover in perpetuity – so, once arranged, it can be transferred from owner to owner.
For further information on buying,selling,renting or auctions go to wwww.tudorestates.co.uk
What that problem might be, I obviously can’t say. However, one of the main areas where this type of insurance comes into its own is over issues of title or ownership – particularly in cases where so-called possessory title is involved. This sometimes crops up with older properties which haven’t changed hands for a long time. It means that although the current owners may have had use of a piece of land for many years, there is no official record of them having full legal title.
Another common application is in the case of properties which may have been improved or extended, but where the owner neglected for whatever reason to gain Building Regulations approval for the work.
These are precisely the sort of glitches that would normally set all the legal alarm bells ringing. Legal indemnity insurance doesn’t actually solve the underlying problem, of course – but by literally indemnifying the purchaser against the costs of any future legal challenges, it enables the sale to proceed in the normal way.
Other problems where it can be useful include lost or poorly-worded legal documents, issues of access, restrictive covenants, or even properties built on unmade roads (where it provides protection against any future demands from the local authority for contributions to the cost of having the road made up).
Since legal indemnity insurance is designed to help ensure that property transactions are not unduly delayed or even prevented from going through altogether, it obviously benefits the seller as well providing protection for the buyer – which is why it can be taken out by either party. A single premium payment provides cover in perpetuity – so, once arranged, it can be transferred from owner to owner.
For further information on buying,selling,renting or auctions go to wwww.tudorestates.co.uk
Thursday 14 October 2010
Is there such a thing as an ideal time for a property to be viewed – and if so, when is it?
Like much else in the property market, this to a certain extent depends on whether you are looking at things from the viewpoint of a seller or a buyer.
As a seller, you basically just want your home to be seen in the best possible light. So, generally speaking, you will want to schedule all viewings for a bright, sunny day that offers the maximum amount of natural light. (Sunlight, of course, also has the added advantage of putting everyone in a good, positive mood!) As a buyer, on the other hand, it could be argued that you’d be much better off viewing a property on a miserable, rainy day – because if you like the place under those circumstances, you’ll positively love it when the sun finally shines! Besides, it’ll give you the perfect opportunity to see whether the gutters leak, or the garden has a unpleasantly high water table.
So far, so good – except of course for the fact that in this country we can’t actually guarantee the kind of weather we’re going to get from one moment to the next. And while sellers can to a certain extent compensate for a dull, overcast day by switching on all the lights, there’s not much that a buyer can acceptably do to make up for a lack of rain!
But is there really such a thing as the ideal time for a property to be viewed? That depends entirely on the individual circumstances of the property concerned. As the seller of a house close to a school, for example, you might want to try and avoid break times, which can be rather noisy.
Similarly, if your home happens to be on or near a major road, then it might be appropriate to schedule viewings for the middle of the day or the evening, when traffic volumes will be lower.
Incidentally, none of these are dastardly underhand tricks designed to hoodwink the simple trusting consumer. They are just plain common sense. So, if you are selling, it is well worth thinking about such issues and planning accordingly. Meanwhile, for buyers, it just underlines the need to consider everything very carefully before committing yourself.
For more information on buying, selling, renting or property auctions go to
www.trustintudor.co.uk
As a seller, you basically just want your home to be seen in the best possible light. So, generally speaking, you will want to schedule all viewings for a bright, sunny day that offers the maximum amount of natural light. (Sunlight, of course, also has the added advantage of putting everyone in a good, positive mood!) As a buyer, on the other hand, it could be argued that you’d be much better off viewing a property on a miserable, rainy day – because if you like the place under those circumstances, you’ll positively love it when the sun finally shines! Besides, it’ll give you the perfect opportunity to see whether the gutters leak, or the garden has a unpleasantly high water table.
So far, so good – except of course for the fact that in this country we can’t actually guarantee the kind of weather we’re going to get from one moment to the next. And while sellers can to a certain extent compensate for a dull, overcast day by switching on all the lights, there’s not much that a buyer can acceptably do to make up for a lack of rain!
But is there really such a thing as the ideal time for a property to be viewed? That depends entirely on the individual circumstances of the property concerned. As the seller of a house close to a school, for example, you might want to try and avoid break times, which can be rather noisy.
Similarly, if your home happens to be on or near a major road, then it might be appropriate to schedule viewings for the middle of the day or the evening, when traffic volumes will be lower.
Incidentally, none of these are dastardly underhand tricks designed to hoodwink the simple trusting consumer. They are just plain common sense. So, if you are selling, it is well worth thinking about such issues and planning accordingly. Meanwhile, for buyers, it just underlines the need to consider everything very carefully before committing yourself.
For more information on buying, selling, renting or property auctions go to
www.trustintudor.co.uk
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