When looking for a new home, most of us look for clues to tell us about the property's past.
We look for cracks in the foundation, scan ceilings for water damage, and in our area, we often test for radon.
But as we've learned, home buyers may want to add a meth test to their checklist.
You might think if you don't use meth, you're not exposed to the dangers of it but just last week, a man was walking his dog and found the remnants of a meth lab in a Sioux Falls park.
And earlier this month, a meth bust happened right across from the Augustana campus.
Meth could also be in your home.
When someone operates a meth lab in their home, the residue can get into everything from the carpets on the floor to the fans on the ceiling.
It can get into the appliances, even the light switches on the wall.
And when a meth cooker sells their home, they may move out, but the meth stays behind.
Moving into a new house can come with some anxiety, but it could also make you sick
Cindi Newcomb of Santi Kleen works to get rid of meth in the home.
"The neighbors came over and introduced themselves and asked them 'how they took care of all the meth from the meth lab. The people were quite surprised because they didn't know anything about the house being contaminated but they did notice one of them didn't feel good for the time they had been in the house," Newcomb said.
Newcomb explains meth residue stays in a home long after it's been cooked, just like the lingering odor of a cigarette remains after a smoker takes the last puff.
"It's the same thing with meth. It's not just the finished product, it's all the precursors, things that go into making meth. They don't belong in a house and that's what you end up with is this toxic brew of chemicals," Newcomb said.
For a few bucks, you can save yourself from the headache of owning a meth house.
"We designed these test kits, they only cost $65 and people can use them themselves. Say before they move into a house, they make an offer on the house. They get it tested. You'll have your results back in less than a week and you'll know whether or not this is a house you want to buy," Newcomb said.
Newcomb hopes sellers will do the right thing and be honest by disclosing what they know but it's not always possible.
"Houses that have been in foreclosure, often times they've been passed back and forth to two, three, four different real estate agents. They may not know that the house ever had any drug activity," Newcomb said.
Getting your house tested before you buy it can protect your heath and your wallet.
"It could ruin someone's life. They'll have a house they cant get rid of and they can't clean it up," Newcomb said.
Newcomb sells a home test kit for sixty-five dollars. Compared to the cost of ridding your home of meth after you've moved in, which could cost anywhere from five to fifteen thousand.
It's something to consider when buying a house.
And there are horror stories about some homeowners who found out too late.
Both Newcomb and a real estate agent told KSFY about people who bought a house, got sick after moving in, then tested the house for meth.
Once it tested positive, they couldn't pay to clean it, gave the keys back the bank.
The house was foreclosed on.
Their credit is ruined and some have even had to declare bankruptcy.
A sobering reminder for homeowners.
