Surveyors report - do they exaggerate?

samv

Hi,

We have just had our surveyors report back and was wondering if they do exaggerate?

They are saying the guttering is blocked, the electrics need looking at because there is no electrical certificate and there is some damp (this is the problem we are worried about)

Sam

maninthestreet

My house doesn't have an 'electrical certificate' either - the surveyor is just covering thmeselves there. The blocked guttering is easy to fix, and may well be contributing to the damp problem. Does the report go into any more detail about the damp?

CloudCuckooLand

They may cover themselves by highlighting a relatively minor issue.

Damp is commonly mentioned, when perhaps limited evidence is available.

If you arrange investigations, many damp firms will try to sell their services irrespective of what the survey says - so can you really be sure there was/is an issue?

The benefit of doing so while buying is that you knock the price down with the vendor, on the strength of the survey, so they cover the cost, even if it turns out not to be needed...

samv

Hi maninthestreet,

On the survey it says 'Dampness is affecting parts of the rear wall and the right flank wall within the dining room and parts of the right flank wall within the living room.I susect this may be due to a defect in the damp course causing bridging of the damp proof course or penetration. Concealed timbers may be defective and the areas should be opened up and investigated. Its affecting the the right flank wall within bedroom 1 and bedroom 2.
The relatively high external ground level, particularly to the rear, nearly bridges the damp proof course which could cause dampness problems.'

Sam

DVardysShadow

samv wrote: »

Hi,

We have just had our surveyors report back and was wondering if they do exaggerate?

They are saying the guttering is blocked, the electrics need looking at because there is no electrical certificate and there is some damp (this is the problem we are worried about)

Sam

No they are not saying the guttering is blocked ...

samv wrote: »

Hi maninthestreet,

On the survey it says 'Dampness is affecting parts of the rear wall and the right flank wall within the dining room and parts of the right flank wall within the living room.I susect this may be due to a defect in the damp course causing bridging of the damp proof course or penetration. Concealed timbers may be defective and the areas should be opened up and investigated. Its affecting the the right flank wall within bedroom 1 and bedroom 2.
The relatively high external ground level, particularly to the rear, nearly bridges the damp proof course which could cause dampness problems.'

Sam

You have focussed on the more trivial [the likely cause] and ignored the consequences [definite damp in walls] and the potential consequences [possible damp damaging timbers]

iB1

DVardysShadow wrote: »

No they are not saying the guttering is blocked ...

You have focussed on the more trivial [the likely cause] and ignored the consequences [definite damp in walls] and the potential consequences [possible damp damaging timbers]

I think that the blocked guttering and the damp are two separate issues highlighted on the survey and the OP has only gone into detail here about the damp

goldbyron

samv wrote: »

Hi,

We have just had our surveyors report back and was wondering if they do exaggerate?

They are saying the guttering is blocked, the electrics need looking at because there is no electrical certificate and there is some damp (this is the problem we are worried about)

Sam

Yes they do. If you are a FTB you will probably think the house is falling apart. Surveyors ramp up the problems to cover themselves. All these problems are minor. Guttering is easily unblocked for £20 to a man with a van, I have never had an electrical certificate and don't know many people who do unless they had the work completed recently and damp is very common in a country in the North of Europe. Maybe ask for a damp specialist to go and have another look and see what the problem is. Damp is usually easily solved...damp proof course, a small leak from guttering or slipped roof tile or condensation needing an airbrick. The only issue that is any concern is subsidence that has not been remedied. If it has then even that is okay. So don't worry about the survey it sounds fine to me.