confused about damp survey report

confused_home_buyer

Hello, we have identified a property and made an offer. Due to the age of the property we carried out a full structural survey and that survey highlighted concerns about dampness and recommended us to carry out a damp survey by member of PCA. We then contacted a company that provides free damp report and cost to repair. This report highlighted the entire ground floor has raising damp issues and the cost to repair is approx £8000. We then carried out an independent damp survey and that report came out all clear, no concerns at all. Now I'm confused as to which is the correct report? The paid structural survey highlighted damp issue, the free damp report mentioned the entire ground floor needs to be repaired however the second paid damp report says all clear! Should I take a third opinion?? Please advise. The property is a detached chalet bungalow built in 1900s. Many thanks for any advice.

phatbear

There really is no such thing as "free" its often the case that "free" surveys are usually companies that are fishing for business, for example if someone offered you a "free" holiday if you just listened to a presentation for a few hours you would be suspicious, i hope!

You could go with another survey but if you do I would go with a company you have to pay and who arent seeking your money for lots of work they have detected

rosie383

Usually on these forums when you have had the survey showing a potential damp problem, and you say that you have had a 'free' survey done by a company which is wishing to sell you their damp-proofing services, the advice is ALWAYS to get an independent paid survey. You have done this and it has given the all-clear.
However, I have had no experience of damp, this is just what I have gleaned from those who have posted from their own experience.

Doozergirl

A surveyor valuing the building, even a full buildings survey, doesn't take time to pr to think about damp, they just hold their meter agsinst the wall which measures conductivity. It really surprises me that they then write caveats into their report, even if there is no outward sign. They become complicit in the installation of 000s of unnecessary DPCs.

Beyond that, if you call someone who sells something to your house for a free assessment, what do you think they will say?

If youpay someone to give advice only, you have bought their service already and you should get an impartial result.

If you genuinely had rising damp, you'd know about it. There would be visual evidence and a smell.

G_M

We then contacted a company that provides free damp report and cost to repair.

This was not a survey. It was a sales opportunity.

The company [STRIKE]salesman[/STRIKE] sorry 'surveyor' has only one aim: to pursuade you to pay for their services.

As for rising damp; if it exists at all it is extremely rare.

http://www.askjeff.co.uk/rising-damp/

* does the property smell damp/musty?
* is wallpaper peeling off the walls?
* can you see damp patches?
* is there water running down the walls/on the floor?
* can you see mould growing anywhere?

If the answers are all 'no', there's no issue. If 'yes', demand you money back for the paid survey!

agrinnall

G_M wrote: »

If the answers are all 'no', there's no issue. If 'yes', demand you money back for the paid survey!

Who would you demand the money back from though? The paid for survey did what they said and gave the property a clean bill of health. No money changed hands for the free survey so they won't entertain paying anything. And the structural survey will probably be couched in terms that make a claim impossible.