The Costs Associated With Preparing Your Home For Sale Have Just Gone Up.

The costs associated with preparing your home for sale will likely go up due to a new EPA rule that goes into effect on Thursday.  The Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) rule  requires those who are paid to renovate residential structures that contain children must use lead safe building practices.  According to the EPA’s website:

The Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule applies to all firms and individuals who are paid to perform renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb paint in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities.  This includes home improvement contractors, maintenance workers, painters and other specialty trades.

Those doing the actual work will need to follow three basic lead safe work practices:

1. Contain the work area
2. Minimize work related dust
3. Clean up/cleaning verification

The National Association of Realtors has produced a series of short videos that discuss the RRP rule and its applications.  Click here  to see the first video in the series that describes the RRP rule.

When selling a home, interior and exterior painting typically adds the highest return on investment.  Sellers who opt to paint are going to face higher costs due to contractor compliance related expenses.   According to the EPA’s website, in addition to a certification fee of $300, a training fee of approximately $200, contractors will also see increase in the costs associated with compliance (ie. containing and minimizing dust etc.).  

Sellers may also need to plan ahead because finding a contractor who has completed the compliance and certification training may prove to be difficult, at least initially.  As of the writing of this post, there are 14 contractors within a 10 mile radius of Los Altos who have completed the certification process.  To find local contractors who have been certified, click here .

Lastly, there are exemptions to the RRP rule:

• The home or child occupied facility was built after 1978.
• The repairs are minor, with interior work disturbing less than six sq. ft. or exteriors disturbing less than 20 sq. ft.
• If the house or components test lead free by a Certified Risk Assessor, Lead Inspector, or Certified Renovator.
• If the property owner is conducting the RRP work themselves.

For further information regarding lead hazards and home renovations, click on the following brochure.