Buying or renting a house or apartment for the first time is often supposed to be one of the most exciting times in your life. Unfortunately, many first time buyers and renters may not be aware of one of the biggest hurdles in the way of a good home and that’s toxins. Potential hazards continue to grow by the day it almost seems and the importance of a home inspector continues to grow.

Being aware and educated on some of the most common household toxins is of major importance to a new buyer. Without any knowledge of problems and the proper inspection services, families may be backing themselves into an unfortunate situation with a new house that has a ton of problems.

Mold is something that many of us are familiar with, but can sometimes slip the mind when looking for a new home. High levels of mold around a home can end up impairing health and having a slow but large effect on people. While the affect that mold can have on health is sometimes in question, there’s no doubt that it should be kept out of houses.

Radon is a household toxin that is continuing to become even more prevalent these days. Many buyers may be unaware of this problem because it is a silent gas. Radon is a gas that can’t be seen, tasted, or smelled at all, but it remains a major risk to houses. It occurs from a breakdown of uranium in water and soil. It then has the possibility of getting into the air you breathe. Radon’s presence in houses often occurs from seeping through cracks in insulation coming up from the ground, often in basements and first level areas.

Asbestos insulation is another thing that can go over the head of a buyer because it’s behind the walls of a home. Asbestos fiber was highly used as an insulation material heavily throughout the mid to late 1900’s in homes and structures. Unfortunately,asbestos exposure was then heavily tied to cases of a dangerous cancer known as mesothelioma. Although this material is banned in most of the country, it’s still being used in the insulation for many older homes.

These are just a few of the invisible toxins that can affect the quality of the home buying process, but they clearly show the importance of being aware. The growing amount of toxins being found only continues to prove that a professional, stringent home inspector can often be the difference between buying the right home and the wrong home.

BONSAI Inspection Company would like to thank Kristy Dawson [kristydawson526@gmail.com] for authoring this article. Kristy is a recent college graduate and health and safety advocate. She is an aspiring writer and use my articles to spread awareness of such issues as chronic illnesses and cancer.