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Do you have to disclose asbestos when selling a house?

By November 2, 2021April 15th, 2022Asbestos
Do you have to disclose asbestos when selling a house?

Now that you have been promoted to a new job position at your company in a new city, it’s time for you to get the house listed on the market and leave town to start your new life out of the area you’ve lived, inform most of your life. But the house you own was built in 1968, which means that there could be asbestos in the building material. Do you have to disclose asbestos when selling a home?

It all depends on whether you know for sure if there is asbestos in your home. As long as you do not know the presence of asbestos in your home, you do not need to disclose this information. But if you had some materials tested for asbestos that came back positive, you would need to disclose this information to the buyers, but only if they ask. The buyer may want some materials tested for asbestos before completing the deal; in that situation, you may want to get an asbestos test done.

How to test for asbestos

If your potential buyer wants an asbestos test, ask them to specify what they wish to be tested for asbestos. You don’t want to go through the whole house trying everything for asbestos; it can get very costly. The only items that need to be tested for asbestos are classified as asbestos-containing material that will be disturbed for remodeling purposes. As long as the material is not disturbed, there is no danger of asbestos contaminating the air space.

However, if you are going to test for asbestos, you can hire a professional to do the job for you or get the samples yourself and take it to an asbestos testing lab for analysis. To test for asbestos yourself, get a good knife and half face respirator including P100 filters, a couple of small jars, a marker, and a spray bottle with soapy water. Cut a couple or 3 square inch pieces in two different areas and place each in a separate jar. Label them with a number and location.

Asbestos testing lab

After collecting the asbestos-containing material, you will need to drop them off at an asbestos testing lab. The laboratory microscopist will evaluate the samples you brought them using Polarized Light Microscopy, and the results will indicate the presence, type, and percentage of asbestos in the material.

Asbestos testing lab near me

You can find a local asbestos testing lab by going online and searching “asbestos testing lab near me” for your search term. When contacting the lab, ask to see a sample report and their standard turnaround time. If there isn’t a local asbestos lab, you can also look for labs that offer mail-in asbestos testing.

Asbestos testing near me

Don’t feel comfortable dealing will that asbestos stuff yourself, hire a consultant to do the work for you. It’s well worth the cost, especially if you want to show that a professional did the job, which can put your buyer at ease.

Asbestos testing cost

You can get asbestos-containing material tested for about $25-40 per sample. And if you hire a professional to help you with the process, it can cost an additional $250-$300.