Health Considerations When Choosing Home?

[chelsea]

I am planning to move soon, and have been doing a lot of thinking about health considerations that I need to think of when choosing a place to live (most likely rent.) I was hoping that anyone with ideas could help me brainstorm about issues I need to consider when checking out a potential place of residence.
Here are some of the things I have thought about:

* In condos/apartments, would a person potentially be surrounded by EMF's from other people's electronics in the building? Would it be safest to live on either top or bottom floor since you would have at least one side not exposed to neighbors? Would it be safest to live on top floor as you are probably farther away from any electronics stashed on someone's floor, etc? Maybe safer to live in a townhome than a condo? And probably safest to live in a single family home rather than a multifamily unit?

* Taking into consideration how close a cell phone tower is located to the potential place of residence? There have been studies done that showed a potential link between numerous types of cancer and living within a 1/4 mile of a cell phone tower. I also read that the EMF's are most direct horizontally, so it is the most "unsafe" to live on a higher level floor if you are close to a cell phone tower.

* Choosing a home that is no older than 1980, as I believe that is when they quit using asbestos in homes, here at least.

Any more ideas?

[ForHim]

I would check that all the plumbing is intact. I live in a house right now with damp walls that the landlord refuses to fix. Damp walls equals respiratory problems. Good thing that DD sleeps with us, because her room and the bathroom's walls are damp.

[mamacat]

No carpet

[Katigre]

I wouldn't be opposed to an older home if it is in good repair. Asbestos is only an issue if it is exposed, not if it's sealed properly. They no longer remove it from property as that is even more hazardous but instead cover it up/seal it. We've owned several older homes and each time we know where the asbestos is located and just know not to pull up tiles in that area.

What would matter to me:

1. Radon levels - get it tested before moving in
2. Newer windows (both from lead paint and energy efficiency standpoints)

I personally prefer radiant heat to forced air as that is better for allergies and air quality.

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[milkmommy]

I would check that all the plumbing is intact. I live in a house right now with damp walls that the landlord refuses to fix. Damp walls equals respiratory problems. Good thing that DD sleeps with us, because her room and the bathroom's walls are damp.

This we had an annoying leak in the apartments we once lived in that the landlord refused to fix it seriously affected my asthma. And it was right in our kitchen so impossible to avoid.
I'd do my best to go for single family over any kinda shared wall situation. If anything you just can't controll who your neighbors are. Like when we had smokers next door our home REEKED that could NOT have been healthy. I would have liked to been pickier on say the flooring avoiding all carpets at least but that wasn't realistic once the search started. If you can though I would HIGHLY reccomend that. It is the one area we kinda wish we had... I don't really have any opnions on way or another on the electronics stuff so I'll let others answer that. But good plumming no abestos or led used carpet free and a layout that works with your sanity would be some of my top things.

[WanderingJuniper]

Mold. Dampness in places that shouldn't really be damp or dampness during non humid days.

How near the place is to high voltage wires. I grew up on a property where the tall towers ran across the back of the acreage. The EMFs were horrible. I was terrified of the dark the entire time I lived there as a child. There was nothing to fear but as a child the creeping feeling in the dark was enough to make me want to cry if I was outside alone.

[chelsea]

Thanks for your input, everyone!

WanderingJuniper, would that be those tall wooden poles with wires running between them on the top? How close were you to them? I found a condo in a neighborhood with no cell towers nearby, yay, only to discover that the condo has a power line probably 10 feet away from the unit I was looking at. Grrr! There's always something! :(

Some more things I've thought of to look out for is seeing if there is some way to find out if the house was ever used as a grow-op (chance of black mold), if the home uses the new smart meters for utilities (they bring EMF problems)... and is there a way to figure out if a home has bedbugs before moving into it?

Thinking about all this stuff makes my skin crawl!

[milkdud]

Also look into power plants being nearby.