Could Your Brand-New Home Be Making Your Family Sick? What Every Homeowner Should Know About Indoor Air Quality
By Dee Davidson, FDN-P
If you're anything like me, buying a new home is one of life's most exciting milestones. Fresh paint, beautiful finishes, sparkling countertops, brand-new flooring—everything feels clean, modern, and untouched.
But here's something most people never think about.
"New" doesn't always mean "healthy."
As my fiancé, my boys, and I prepare to move into our new home, I've found myself looking at things through a very different lens than I would have fifteen years ago. Back then, I probably would have walked in, admired the fresh smell of a newly built home, and thought, This smells amazing.
Today, I know that "new home smell" is often something very different.
It's frequently the smell of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals being released or "off-gassed" from building materials into the air we breathe.
The irony is that many of us spend months searching for the perfect home while never once asking what we're actually breathing once we move in.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air can often be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and in some situations, pollutant levels can be even higher. Considering that Americans spend roughly 90% of their time indoors, that's something worth paying attention to.
Many of the products used to build modern homes are manufactured with adhesives, glues, engineered wood, flooring, insulation, carpeting, cabinetry, paint, sealants, and finishes that release chemicals into the air for weeks, months, and sometimes even years after installation. This process is known as off-gassing.
Some of the more common indoor pollutants include formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene, flame retardants, plasticizers, and other VOCs. While research is still evolving, studies have associated prolonged exposure to certain indoor air pollutants with respiratory irritation, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, worsening asthma and allergies, hormone disruption, and, depending on the compound and level of exposure, increased risks of other health concerns.
One conversation that really stayed with me happened during our home search. An indoor air quality specialist shared that many newly constructed homes can continue off-gassing for up to 30 years or longer, depending on the materials used and how well the home is ventilated. That made perfect sense, but it also reinforced why I wanted to think beyond granite countertops and open floor plans.
As someone who specializes in functional health, I also see another side of this conversation.
One of the advanced labs I frequently use with clients is a Total Tox Urine Test, which measures many environmental toxins the body has been exposed to. While no single test can tell us exactly where every exposure came from, I consistently see elevated levels of chemicals associated with modern living—including VOCs, plastics, pesticides, mold toxins, and other environmental compounds.
Sometimes clients have obvious exposures.
Other times, they have no idea.
When we begin asking questions about their home, workplace, hobbies, or renovation history, the pieces often start coming together.
One client in particular comes to mind.
She was only thirty years old and living in a beautiful newly built home. Her Total Tox testing revealed an exceptionally high burden of volatile organic compounds. She was experiencing significant hair loss along with several other symptoms. While we can't say that her home caused her symptoms, her environmental exposures became an important part of the conversation and something we worked to reduce while supporting her body's natural detoxification systems.
Children deserve special mention in this conversation.
Kids are not simply "small adults."
Their bodies, brains, lungs, immune systems, and detoxification pathways are still developing. They also breathe more air relative to their body size than adults and spend a significant amount of time crawling, playing, and sleeping close to flooring, carpets, furniture, and dust where many chemicals accumulate.
Because of this, reducing unnecessary environmental exposures during childhood may be especially important.
One of the very first things we did before purchasing our new home was schedule indoor air quality testing in addition to the standard home inspection.
Interestingly, our home inspector told us that in all his years of inspecting homes, we were the first buyers to ever request indoor air quality testing.
I honestly wasn't surprised.
Most people simply don't know it's available.
For me, it was one of the most valuable investments we made.
I was concerned for two reasons.
First, I work with many clients dealing with mold illness, and I know firsthand how profoundly hidden water damage can impact someone's health. A small roof leak, a slow plumbing leak behind a wall, or moisture in a basement can create the perfect environment for mold growth, even if you never actually see it.
Second, I wanted reassurance that the air my family would be breathing every day wasn't filled with excessive VOCs or other airborne contaminants.
Thankfully, our home passed its air quality testing with flying colors.
That gave me tremendous peace of mind.
But even in a home with excellent air quality, we still bring pollutants indoors every day through pets, shoes, dust, cooking, cleaning products, and daily life. That's why I continue to run medical-grade HEPA air purifiers throughout our home. Personally, I believe they're one of the best investments families can make, particularly in bedrooms where we spend nearly one-third of our lives sleeping and recovering.
There are also many simple ways to reduce your family's exposure without becoming overwhelmed.
Open your windows regularly when weather allows to improve ventilation. Choose low-VOC or zero-VOC paints whenever possible. Allow new furniture or rugs to air out before bringing them into bedrooms. Vacuum frequently using a HEPA-filter vacuum. Remove shoes at the door to reduce pesticides and contaminants tracked inside. Use fragrance-free or naturally scented cleaning products whenever possible. Add houseplants if you enjoy them, recognizing they complement—but don't replace—good ventilation. And if you're building or buying a new home, consider scheduling professional indoor air quality testing before moving in.
My goal isn't to create fear around modern homes.
It's to create awareness.
We can't eliminate every toxin from our environment, nor should that be our goal.
But we can make informed choices that gradually reduce our family's overall toxic burden.
After all, healing isn't usually about one giant decision.
It's about hundreds of small ones.
And sometimes one of the healthiest investments you can make isn't something you eat or a supplement you take.
Sometimes it's simply the air your family breathes every single day.
About Dee Davidson, FDN-P
Dee Davidson is a Board-Certified Functional Health Practitioner, hormone and thyroid specialist, and the creator of the Confidently Balance Your Hormones podcast. She helps women in midlife and beyond uncover the root causes of fatigue, weight gain, anxiety, gut issues, and hormonal imbalances using functional labs, science-backed strategies, and nervous system regulation.
Dee’s work centers around empowering women to finally feel safe, seen, supported, and confident in their bodies — without restriction, overwhelm, or confusion.