Should You Buy A House Containing Asbestos?
Asbestos can be a scary thing! Most people now know the dangers associated with it and it puts people off buying a house if asbestos is present. Should you buy a house containing asbestos? We will explore this question in this post.
Is there a law against selling a home that contains asbestos?
No! Not at all. Some older houses actually contain lots of different types of asbestos based materials. It is not illegal to sell houses that contain asbestos providing it is in good order.
How do I know if asbestos poses a threat to me or my family?
This is where your research come in! Always take extra care when buying a property. A standard home buyers report will generally not consider or check for asbestos, unless it is obvious. Have a look at this mumsnet post where the home buyers report did pickup some potential asbestos.
Even though asbestos was banned in 1999 in the UK, it is still present in a very large amount of property across Northern Ireland.
Legally a homeowner should tell any potential purchaser that asbestos is present. It becomes much more of an issue if the asbestos is in bad condition. If it would pose a danger then it may be an obstacle to selling the property.
Is Asbestos Really That Dangerous?
When thinking about asbestos in good condition. (Lets say a soffit board). If this is not damaged or there is no risk of damage then it is deemed safe and can be monitored as part of your normal maintenance routine.
What if it is old, damaged and flaking? This would be a risk and the asbestos would need to be dealt with. It may be that a tradesman has drilled into it, a bird has pecked at the board or simply just disturbed by rodents. Any fibres released are a hazard to health.
Bear in mind that asbestos is renowned for being hidden or covered up so it is sometimes hard to discover. And lets face it, we’re all more interested in the size of the kitchen or the perks of the potential new property. It’s always best to spare a thought about asbestos, especially if the property was built before the year 2000.
What Can You Do?
Many people don’t know what asbestos looks like. The best thing you can do if you want to be thorough is to have an asbestos survey carried out!
We are a team of independent asbestos surveyors working across Northern Ireland. We can give you complete peace of mind by surveying your property and providing a full report. Our report will be drawn up very quickly and will be very easy to understand. We use a plain English approach and are on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Contact Us or call Philip and the team on 07702 332 333 today! We are happy to help.
