Does this sound like damp?

R&C

Whilst looking round an old edwardian house that we are hoping to make a bid on we noticed that in the main bedrooms all the wallpaper is peeling. In the top right hand corner (an outisde wall) there was a straight dark brown horizontal line, which amost looked like it was just caused by a wardrobe sitting there. When we got home we were looking at the house on google maps and noticed that on the outisde of the house you can see a line that is in the same place on the outisde as where this brown line on the inside is. Does that make sense? Like it may be damp creeping in from the outisde? The chimney breast is on this side of the house if that makes any difference.

Anyone know how much this would cost to fix? We would have to walk away if it will be expensive.

Thanks!

Steve_xx

It's difficult for anyone to comment on what you saw with your own eyes.

However, I wonder if this brown mark is actually a piece of timber

If all of the wallpaper is peeling then you need to be concerned about damp issues. Did it smell musty in there? If it did then there is certainly some damp, or is it just that it has been unheated?

Is there any lichen on the outside walls that might indicate rainwater running down the walls rather than being properly carried away by the guttering. Does all of the mortar on the outside walls look to be good and intact, ie none missing?

Perhaps you ought to have a look at what's going on outside when it rains. If the guttering and roofing is in a poor state then water could ingress the property. A leaky roof would usually present with brown stains on the ceilings and/or the walls on the upper levels. Problems with guttering might result in the peeling wallpaper scenario that you have described.

You need to ask the vendor some serious questions about what you saw.

macman

Leaky guttering (which is what it might be, or could be some damp getting in via the chimney or flashing) is hardly terminal on a 100 year old house. Once fixed it will soon dry out. You have to expect these kind of maintenance jobs on such a house, the point is that if it has been neglected then your offer should reflect the cost of rectifying it.

latecomer

Get a survey done and an estimate of the repair costs and factor that into the offer.

TomsMom

As latecomer says, but make sure it's a full structural survey. It really will be worth the money. We had one done on the house we bought last year, similar age to yours, and it showed up that the loft conversion was seriously substandard (all roof supports had been removed) and it was estimated at around £30,000 to correct. We negotiated this off the purchase price.

R&C

Thanks for your replies. Interesting about the leeking guttering, as this 'line' is right near the guttering. Like the guttering runs along the fornt of the house and this line is on the side but the same level as the guttering.

Also a good point about the chimney - from the outside of the house you can see on the side of the property where the chimney is that the rendering is darker (faded black patches) from where would be the upstairs ceiling right up to the chimney. . The house is taller than it's neighbour so I wasn't sure if it was just because the rendering might be a bit old and weathered and that particular part isn't so sheltered by the neighbour.

It's a renovation project and we need to try to work out figures as much as we can so we can make sure we can actually afford it before we buy - if it was the guttering, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to fix? and if it was something to do with the chimney?

Thanks again everyone

macman

It's impossible to cost things you can't see. It could just be that the gutter is blocked and overflowing down the wall. Or you could find you need a complete new roof. If you are serious about buying the property, take your builder along and ask him to give it a quick once over before you committ to a full structrural survey (which you should most definitely have if you are going to buy it). Most builders will be happy to do this for fifty quid or so, and while you won't get a comprehensive survey, they will pick up things that you will probably not (equally, they may reassure you on things that you thought might be a problem but are only minor).

R&C

macman wrote: »

It's impossible to cost things you can't see. It could just be that the gutter is blocked and overflowing down the wall. Or you could find you need a complete new roof. If you are serious about buying the property, take your builder along and ask him to give it a quick once over before you committ to a full structrural survey (which you should most definitely have if you are going to buy it). Most builders will be happy to do this for fifty quid or so, and while you won't get a comprehensive survey, they will pick up things that you will probably not (equally, they may reassure you on things that you thought might be a problem but are only minor).

Thanks macman, we will have call around some local builders and see if we can get one to come round with us.