With unemployment rates still very high and the economy struggling, is now the best time to be adding to the cost of renovating one’s home?
According to an article by Inman News, the Environmental Protection Agency is removing a provision in their 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. This stipulation allowed home owners and their contractors to disregard the rules of the act as a means of saving money, as long as they could prove there were no children under six years old or pregnant women living in the home. Now, whenever there is work done to a home built before 1978, the contractors must follow all aspects of the rule, regardless of the owners’ requests.
I know most of you are probably thinking this is a great thing. There will be less toxic substances in our homes and we will all be safe because of it. But I ask, is now the right time? With all the problems in the housing marking, is it a good idea to make the cost of renovation higher? These costs could deter many home owners from making key “efficiency improvements”, which can raise the value of the home and decrease energy use.
What do you all think? Would you prefer the added cost, or be able to your own decisions about what needs to be done with your house?
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