Q. I am getting ready to sell my house, and I think I have asbestos in my basement. Am I required to remove it before selling?
A. You are not required to remove asbestos. However, at the time of negotiation, it may come up as an issue. You have a few choices.
First, you can wrap the asbestos, which is a less expensive way to mitigate the problem. Because you are not cutting into the asbestos, it is easier and less intrusive if you are living in the house.
A second solution is to have the asbestos removed, which is a bit costlier depending on the amount that you have.
The third choice is to just leave it alone, let the purchaser deal with it, and cover it in the price. If it is a very small amount of asbestos, I recommend removing it. In this way, it will not become an issue.
Q. I currently have oil heat in my house. My boiler is quite old, and my plumber says it might be time to buy a new one since it’s been giving me trouble. Is it a good idea to convert from oil to gas or does it matter if I sell the house?
A. It is easier to change from one oil boiler to another. However, it may make more sense to take this opportunity and convert to gas heat. Most buyers prefer gas heat in my experience.
Also, if you check with your local gas provider, they may offer credits or assistance in converting over to gas heat to make it even more cost-effective.
Bear in mind that if you do switch to gas heat, you will have to either dispose of your oil tank or have it filled with sand to protect the environment. This has to be done by someone who can give you a certification that it was properly handled.
Send your real estate questions to jambron@bhsusa.com.
