HELP - House has Rising damp which was not picked out on the Survey - What can I do ?

Spartan_Saver

I purchased my house in February and moved in May. A survey was done in April. I emailed the surveyor with my concerns about damping as it had slight damp smell. Surveyor confirmed via email that there were no signs of damping. Rising damp has been found in my bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

The latest surveyor that came in to assess the dampness says that this should have been picked up in April as the signs of damping were appearing in the walls in early June. I have been quoted £1200 + VAT to sort out the bedroom walls. The bathroom will be more as it the plumbing work and the confined space will push up the price.

As the Home Buying Report survey that was done was literally useless, what can I do to recuperate the cost of the work that needs to be done. I paid my mortgage provider for the survey, they subcontracted it to another company who then subcontracted it to the surveyors.

1) Do I chase it up with the bank as they were the ones who I paid for the survey? Would the ombudsman look at my case?

2) Do I deal directly with the surveyor? They will probably say that I agreed to their T&Cs which includes that "The surveyor cannot accept responsibility if it is used, or relies upon, or anyone else" Who can I escalate to is this was the case?

3) Has anyone had a similar experience? If so what was the outcome

I would really value your opinion as to what can I do and who I can escalate it to as I know it will be difficult to get compensation for this.

Many thanks in advance :money:

kingstreet

Did you have the lender's surveyor do only a basic mortgage report and valuation prior to purchasing the property, or a more in-depth survey in addition?

Did you have an independent damp surveyor inspect and report on the property at your expense?

Who has now come to assess this issue? What is the nature of this surveyor? Is it someone who makes money from installing damp courses, or an independent damp surveyor you have paid for their expertise?

Spartan_Saver

Hi Kings street - thank you for your reply.

No - I didn't have an independent damp surveyor come and check the property as the HBR did not see any issues of dampness. The only thing that came back as Red (i.e specialist needed) were on the electrics, which after I had an electrician come and inspect the property everything was fine.

I have had 2 damp specialists come to assess the issue who will profit from the repairing that is needed. However their diagnosis makes sense as there is a buildup of earth on the back of the property. However the damping issues were not picked up at all on the HBR and the email that I sent to the surveyor actually confirms this as that was my main concern.

Any advise on how to proceed?

ACG

What type of report was carried out when you purchased the property?

Was it definitely a homebuyers report?

kingstreet

If you have soil bridging the damp course because the level is too high, the remedy is to reduce the level of the soil, not change the damp course.

If you do, the same thing will happen, as you are treating the symptoms but not removing the cause.

You would best be advised to appoint an independent damp surveyor;-

http://independentdampsurveyors.co.uk/

and pay for them to inspect the problem and report on how to remedy it. Often "damp" is a result of an issue such as yours or leaky rainwater goods, missing flashing etc.

You will pay for the report, but probably avoid paying for an unnecessary damp course, plastering and all the mess and inconvenience that will bring.

If the chartered surveyor didn't mention damp, it may well be because in a drier/warmer part of the year, the problem had been masked.

DRP

Spartan_Saver wrote: »

Hi Kings street - thank you for your reply.

No - I didn't have an independent damp surveyor come and check the property as the HBR did not see any issues of dampness. The only thing that came back as Red (i.e specialist needed) were on the electrics, which after I had an electrician come and inspect the property everything was fine.

I have had 2 damp specialists come to assess the issue who will profit from the repairing that is needed. However their diagnosis makes sense as there is a buildup of earth on the back of the property. However the damping issues were not picked up at all on the HBR and the email that I sent to the surveyor actually confirms this as that was my main concern.

Any advise on how to proceed?

I agree with kingstreet - the first thing you need to do is stop any damp penetrating into the walls above the damp proof course (DPC/DPM).

Remove the buildup.

Wait.

See what happens.

If the problem isn't solved then consider your next move.

Damp takes a while to disappear even after you have dealt with the causative factors...

In the meantime:
1. definitely worth getting an independent damp expert in.
2. Find out why the surveyor didn't identify the damp in your homebuyers survey - you may be able to get some cash out of them to help you remedy the problem.
3. Don't get the damp company in to replaster your walls until you know more about the problem - it is expensive and may exacerbate your problem!

Spartan_Saver

ACG wrote: »

What type of report was carried out when you purchased the property?

Was it definitely a homebuyers report?

YES - Definitely a HBR

I think getting an independent surveyor is the first key step as I need to deal with the root cause rather than the symptom.

AdrianC

What did the HBR actually say in the damp section? Full wording, with any backside-covering and equivocation...

SG27

Is your bedroom on the ground floor?

Spartan_Saver

AdrianC wrote: »

What did the HBR actually say in the damp section? Full wording, with any backside-covering and equivocation...

Below is the only reference to the damping.

The property has a front, rear and gable end wall faced in natural stone. The wall facing the courtyard is rendered. The main wall facing the lane is internally dry lined. The rear wall is leaning and is supported by a rendered buttress. It appears that the original stone walls are of ashlar and internally concrete walls have been built. Facing the courtyard, the wall is 300mm thick and is probably of cavity block wall, externally rendered.
There is an old slate damp-proof course visible in places on the wall facing the lane. The stone is perished and open jointed with age. This is only to be expected as Bath stone is a soft porous stone. When the property was converted, extensive repointing was carried out. Unfortunately sand cement mortar was used instead of lime mortar which is far more pliable and appropriate for stone. At present, no urgent repairs are required.

The follow up email I received with regards to the damping is the following:

There were no signs of dampness to solid walls or floor. If there had been I would have mentioned it.


Do I have a case against the mortgage company / surveyors? The reason I paid £400 for the HBR is to ensure problems like these would have impacted the price of the property.

Spartan_Saver

SG27 wrote: »

Is your bedroom on the ground floor?

It is indeed - 1 bedroom detached mews house.