Just viewed property - accept bathroom issues?

shazchip

I am not sure about fans, I didn't think to look for any specifically, just assumed they wouldn't as no outside walls for any proper fan to go to. I will check on second viewing. There was definitely only one switch (for the light) on the wall though.

fairy_lights

I live in a flat with the bathroom smack in the middle and it has a fan, so it can be done. I would definitely check for a fan on the second viewing or ask the agent because it would be very strange for there not to be one.
If there does turn out to be no fan or other means of ventilation I think it would ring alarm bells for me, because if the current owners haven't bothered with something so essential (and relatively simple to sort out) then what else might they have neglected?

princeofpounds

If you can smell it the the bathroom likely already has a significant damp problem.

The set-up you describe would certainly not pass building regulations nowadays.

Unless you use the bathroom sparingly, just applying paint to the walls will not solve things; it will just try to address one symptom. Neither will a dehumidifier; you'll be emptying it daily and running it (with attendant noise and cost) for hours.

You need proper ventilation ducting the air outside your property. This is a basic in any properly constructed bathroom.

This is very easy to do, unless the layout and/or freeholder makes it awkward. And it sounds like it might be the case here.

Having seen a couple of rotting internal bathrooms in my time from bad BTL landlord conversions, I would find a proper solution or steer clear, not kid myself it won't matter.

GaleSF63

My message disappeared so it might end up being duplicated

"There was definitely only one switch (for the light) on the wall though. "

A lot of fans are wired into the light switch. The fan comes on when the light is put on, and goes off about 5 minutes after the light is switched off.

There may be a fan which is blocked or broken.

G_M

Unless it was built 40+ years ago it would have had ventilatio installed to compy with Building Regs. Probobly an extractor fan in the ceiling....??

If so the (relatively cheap) solution is to

* replace the fan with a more powerful one
* ensure the fan comes on automatically when the light is switched on
* ensure it has a time-delay switch so it stays on for 5 minutes after the light is switched off

As for the existing damp, pretty easy to clean down the walls and dry out (humidifier will help), then replaster if it's really bad, and finally do a proper tiling job so moisture just runs down the wall back into the bath/shower etc

shazchip

I just read the the printed brochure I got today (which is slightly different to what's online) and it actually does say extractor fans in the bathrooms.

This makes me feel slightly better (they have fans! woohoo!) but also worse (the fans didn't do much so far? unless they haven't been used).

As you say princeofpounds - if smell of damp is already there, must be quite a significant problem already. Something that would be difficult or costly to fix you reckon?

You say you have seen problems in bad BTL conversions - but this is a purpose built development, so hopefully shouldn't be anything dodgy in the building structure etc...

Still unsure!! :-/

theEnd

If they have fans, then at least the infrastructure is there, so it should be an easier task.

But check. Get someone qualified to make sure it can be made work.

Hoploz

Shazchip if there are fans then it is likely the occupant has it switched off as someone said, they can be a bit noisy, but the dampness is the result.

How about you phone the agent and ask the question? Tell the EA you see from the details there is a fan, but you've noticed the damp, can the owner clarify whether the fan is used, or if it works at all. Or arrange a second viewing and ask at that point.

People generally don't mind genuine buyers asking this sort of question,it shows they are interested!

AlexMac

I'd be reluctant to have an unventaliated bath/shower/khazi but its your call. In the event that your enquiries reveal there really isn't any existing system of ventilation,even if a new fan's needed at a cost of a few quid, it's not impossible to retro-fit this.

We have a ground-floor loo under the stairs in the centre of the house and the fan vents via conduit to an outside wall over 5 metres away.

So assuming you don't want to mess about in the ceiling void above (or if you have solid floor construction or the timber joists run the wrong way) it wouldn't mean more than cutting through an internal wall or two, and running conduit behind some kind of boxing in. Probably no more than a few (or maybe several) hundred quid's work. You'd be surprised that no-one over notices a bit of boxing in against a celing if its done neatly, especially if you replace any coving around it.

The downside might be a bit of fan noise when the extractor gets old, or if it's not mounted correctly and vibrates. A bigger issue may be having to ask the freeholder's permission to cut holes in walls - especially the outside one - as most leases require you to do this. Although many people just do this without permission; e.g. when fitting a boiler which needs a similar hole in an outside wall- I've had builders do this in a few flats I've owned and never bothered to ask, with no come-back.

dirty_magic

I'd have a second viewing and double check. Is the fan in the ceiling above the bath? If there's a fan there that's not working or just not very good it should be easy enough to get a better one fitted.