Radon, an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas, which is a natural decay product or uranium in the soil, can cause lung cancer. Radon will eventually seep through drain openings, sump wells, cracks in your foundation or cinder block walls, but that can be remedied with low-cost techniques such as crack sealing and radon ventilation on low-level radon; but higher levels can be more expensive to fix.
Pests or Pets
One last thing to check on outdoor levels, are the insects and pests that you will be cohabitating with on your land. Mosquitoes, ants, spiders, wasps, and moths, have a habit of invading homes. However, these insects wouldn’t have quite the impact that carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and termites have when they see your wooden house as just another tree. Check for wood shavings and inspect parts near soft or rotted wood in the exposed areas of the home.
Are you safe indoors?
Now, let’s look at indoor safety. Asbestos was once a common insulation for attics, pipes, and even used in ceiling tiles, floor tiles and roof shingles. Look for asbestos around furnaces and stoves, door gaskets, pipes and attic insulations, siding, and appliances. Asbestos removal requires a specialized contractor who has been trained and licensed and is costly and requires quite extensive preparation.
Depending on the year the home was built, the paint used might contain lead, which can be determined by testing. Lead paint can be painted over, but only if in good condition. However, improper removal of lead paint can make a person sick. In addition, lead might be present in the solder that connects the copper water pipes, which can be resolved by filtering your drinking water, or replacing all of the pipes with not leaded soldered joined, which is very expensive.
If your home is near a power plant, or a power line grid, you could be exposed to an electromagnetic field. Scientific studies have linked electromagnetic fields with certain types of cancer, and there seems to be no agreement of safe exposure to these fields. Underground hazards such as sinkholes, abandoned wells, mines, or oil tanks are another hazard and offer hidden pollution. While some may be easily remedies, others are often more expensive to fix.