asbestos in your home

Asbestos In Your Home

When buying a new home, the last thing you would think about is asbestos being present. Despite this, it was widely used, and there could be asbestos in your home.

Asbestos exposure harms humans and can cause many health risks and diseases. Unfortunately, little was done about its usage, even though increasing numbers of people were falling ill and dying by the 1920s and 30s. Until 1999, asbestos was widely used in a range of building materials in most homes, hospitals and schools.

What Was Asbestos Used For Before It Was Banned?

Asbestos was used in a wide range of building materials and items over the years before the ban was put in place. Here are a few:

  • Roofs, either corrugated roofing or felt lining
  • Flooring
  • Ceiling tiles
  • Artex
  • Airing cupboards
  • Around boilers
  • Behind fuse boxes
  • Pipe lagging
  • Soffits
  • Around water tanks
  • Behind fireplaces
  • Guttering
  • Panelling

These things can be found in any buildings built before 1999. Asbestos was a good fire and heat resistant material, strong and was a good insulator.  

How Might Asbestos In Your Home Affect Sellers?

As a seller, if you are aware of asbestos in your property, you’re probably wondering how it might affect you should you wish to sell up and move on. Below, we discuss a few of the most common questions about selling property with asbestos:

Can Asbestos Stop a Property Sale Altogether?

Potentially, yes, asbestos could stop a property sale. Several variables would need to be taken into consideration, so it’s impossible to give a definitive answer. Things like the current condition of the asbestos and the buyer’s attitude towards finding it in the home will all affect whether or not the sale will proceed.

Nothing stops you from selling a property containing asbestos, but if you are aware of it, you have to disclose this information, or you could get in trouble.

Does Asbestos Affect Property Prices?

It can, but the extent to which the presence of asbestos will affect property value depends upon several factors. These include how much is present, where it is, what state it’s in and if it needs to be removed.

As asbestos removal is expensive, property prices will often be adjusted to reflect this expense. It may be worth considering getting professionals to remove it rather than taking a lower price. However, every situation varies, so discussing your options is essential.

How Can Asbestos Removal Help You?

Here at Clearaway, we can provide thorough and high-quality asbestos inspections. We will sample and test the suspected asbestos, and depending on the condition and if it needs to be removed, we can come up with a plan to contain and get rid of it.

Contact us here at Clearaway Asbestos for all your asbestos removal and testing needs.

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