I Need Serious Help!

marybishop

Do you have a cooker hood that vents to atmosphere (i.e. outside not just sucks the air in and then throws it back out into the room) in the kitchen and is there a humidistat (a mechanical vent that has an overrun on it so that it keeps going while there's still steam around) in the bathroom. These would help to alleviate any condensation problems but you still need to make sure you use adequate heating and also open windows when appropriate.

mrsc_4

We used to have bad condensation in the flat we sold in December, it was especally bad in the bedroom, my Dad put an air brick in for us and it helped a little but we still had mould round the window and in the corners of the ceilings on the outside wall. When we decorated we even lined the walls with polystrine to keep the heat in. Everyday we would wipe the windows and the ceiling, and air the rooms at the weekends. It made me quite ill having the mould around and since we've moved I've been fine.

We also had the same problem in our bathroom, we painted with anti mould bathroom paint and used to leave the extractor fan on.

It used to make me really unhappy to be honest and used to get me down, and in the end I couldn't wait to get rid of the flat and for it to be someone elses problem, harsh I know but we did everything we could to get rid of it.

Don't hand the keys back to your mortgage company, get some quotes and as others have said speak to your leaseholder you can work though it, it just seems scary at the moment.

Good luck

Phirefly

a short-term solution to make you feel better while you're sorting out the lagal side...


Dettol mould and mildew remover
WONDERPRODUCT cannot recommend this stuff enough

doitmyself

Hi Clare and Lee
I'm bumping your thread to keep it topical, mainly because when I first read your story I thought, esp when you said 2-bed g/f e.o. terrace, S*** that's our place! (10 years ago). It's not btw, from your subsequent description but just to say I am so utterly sympathetic to your situation. We didn't own the place and in any event that was pre HIP's (are they in yet?), which can only make off-loading the place harder. Sorry but best to be realistic.
The only thing I can say from our experience is you will break your !!! and your heart trying to solve an unsolveable situation and it could make you very unhappy indeed, so don't try. You've got a dog and you've got to get rid.
Do what the builder did, tart it up a bit, use some of phirefly's Dettol and a can or 2 of magnolia, get it on the market, couple of grand under going rate on basis emigrating to Oz or some other bs, grab the first person who looks remotely interested and get the hell out (and dont buy anything else off a hasbeen tv actor!)

hearts

doitmyself wrote: »

Hi Clare and Lee
I'm bumping your thread to keep it topical, mainly because when I first read your story I thought, esp when you said 2-bed g/f e.o. terrace, S*** that's our place! (10 years ago). It's not btw, from your subsequent description but just to say I am so utterly sympathetic to your situation. We didn't own the place and in any event that was pre HIP's (are they in yet?), which can only make off-loading the place harder. Sorry but best to be realistic.
The only thing I can say from our experience is you will break your !!! and your heart trying to solve an unsolveable situation and it could make you very unhappy indeed, so don't try. You've got a dog and you've got to get rid.
Do what the builder did, tart it up a bit, use some of phirefly's Dettol and a can or 2 of magnolia, get it on the market, couple of grand under going rate on basis emigrating to Oz or some other bs, grab the first person who looks remotely interested and get the hell out (and dont buy anything else off a hasbeen tv actor!)

YEP thats it!...and then in 3 months time we have another poor soul on the forum with the exact same problem talking about some bastoord who just ripped him off.
Surely the solution shouldn't involve passing your problem on to some other persons and causing them the same heartache.

Phirefly

doitmyself wrote: »

use some of phirefly's Dettol

I should be on commission for that stuff I'm always raving on about it!

doitmyself

hearts wrote: »

YEP thats it!...and then in 3 months time we have another poor soul on the forum with the exact same problem talking about some bastoord who just ripped him off.
Surely the solution shouldn't involve passing your problem on to some other persons and causing them the same heartache.

Ideally no of course not, no-one deserves to be in this predicament.
hearts, part of your advice to this couple in a previous post was to have the work done and sell the place. I'm suggesting the same but save the frankly pointless hassle, heartache and expense of having any work done. I've lived in this place and so have others inc. mrsc who sums the situation up perfectly IMO.
clareandlee have received some very good practical advice here, esp from djm1972 I think, while others have debated whether the problem with this property is damp/dry rot/condensation. I would say in my experience almost certainly the latter and it is very unpleasant and depressing (whether or not there are any real harmful effects), and it is difficult to the point of near-impossible to eradicate.
I would be equally sympathetic to any future purchaser of this property, then again they may be better placed to do something about it.
For now it's clear from the OP's first post just how desperate they are feeling and at just 19 that's very sad indeed.
Guys, don't spend money you don't have fixing problems that probably don't exist (damp/dry rot). Get the property cleaned up and back on the market, slightly under what might be considered the 'right' price if need be and in order to get a buyer, and start again.
That's my opinion and my advice and I'm not going to apologise for it.

greyteam1959

Clareandlee
Might have missed it in the other posts but what sort of heating are you using ?????
If you post the area you are in some kind soul might pop round for a look see.
I think this is getting blown up into a big job there is probably a very simple remedy

Doozergirl

mervyn11, I would seriously send my husband round to look at it if they were anywhere near me!

I very much believe that there is a solution for every problem. Sure, it may cost money to solve (Not £14k!) but we've come across most problems in houses and there is always a clear reason if you know what you're looking for!

mrsc_4

doitmyself wrote: »

Ideally no of course not, no-one deserves to be in this predicament.
hearts, part of your advice to this couple in a previous post was to have the work done and sell the place. I'm suggesting the same but save the frankly pointless hassle, heartache and expense of having any work done. I've lived in this place and so have others inc. mrsc who sums the situation up perfectly IMO.
clareandlee have received some very good practical advice here, esp from djm1972 I think, while others have debated whether the problem with this property is damp/dry rot/condensation. I would say in my experience almost certainly the latter and it is very unpleasant and depressing (whether or not there are any real harmful effects), and it is difficult to the point of near-impossible to eradicate.
I would be equally sympathetic to any future purchaser of this property, then again they may be better placed to do something about it.
For now it's clear from the OP's first post just how desperate they are feeling and at just 19 that's very sad indeed.
Guys, don't spend money you don't have fixing problems that probably don't exist (damp/dry rot). Get the property cleaned up and back on the market, slightly under what might be considered the 'right' price if need be and in order to get a buyer, and start again.
That's my opinion and my advice and I'm not going to apologise for it.

I agree with you as well to be honest,

To the OP get rid of it if it makes you that unhappy you won't be happy going back there once the work is completed anyway.