Rising damp. A FTBs big problem or exaggerated issue?

Jasperella

Hi everyone,

A newbie that's been lurking and following the posts on here for a few months but I'm ready to join in now
Background:
FTB, buying with my other half.
Mortgage has just been granted and is in the post today :j

Now my dilemma comes from the Home Buyers Survey..this was carried out today by Countrywide.
*note the house was built 1890 ish. and is a semi.
The surveyor has told me he's found that "the damp proofing has failed and there is rising damp" I believe he said in all the rooms downstairs.

Now having read a lot on here, I believe damp comes up often in these reports?! And damp proofing seems a tricky subject! I haven't seen the report yet so don't know the extent of what he believes the problem is. And I wasn't present at the valuation so don't know how he assessed the damp problem.

I viewed the house twice, with the vendors. I actively looked for damp, I found some mould in the bathroom which didn't seem a big issue. I saw no other signs downstairs, no peeling paper, no smell, no bubbling etc. The heating was on but that doesn't seem inappropriate as it was mid March and a little chilly.

I'm trying not to panic too much and keep a level head about what happens next so would like some input from those more experienced than myself please if possible. My comments/questions are:

-Whose responsibility is it to fix this problem, if indeed it needs fixing? Mine as the buyer, or should the vendors?
-How can I find an impartial expert? I'm nervous about being duped by these companies that offer damp proofing, it seems so many aren't really experts?!
- Could I re-negotiate with the vendor even though I've had my mortgage offer through giving me the price I agreed with the vendor?
-obviously I'm not an expert but I thought I would have seen the signs of damp in the house when I viewed it? I suppose a teeny part of me questions how truthful or accurate the report is? Maybe I'm just too naive.
-It was suggested to me I might not want to continue with this purchase as rising damp can cost a small fortune and I might be better walking away...is it really that bad? I was so excited about getting my mortgage offer and now I'm a little deflated.
-Lastly, to me if Nationwide didn't put a retainer in the conditions to get it fixed, sure,y it's not that big a deal? I didn't think they would lend if it was too risky, or does this not count as a risky issue?

Sorry that was so long, and thank you for any replies.

flashg67

I've bought 2 similar aged terraces in the last year and on both valuations, damp was mentioned and suggested I obtained a full report. I didn't bother, and once the heating was on, there are no real issues - of course yours may be different.

My opinion of rising damp stems from 20+ years ago when I worked for a damp proofing company - often they wouldn't even inject the stuff fully and just relied on the waterproofing in the new plaster to stop damp coming through - at least for the guarantee period! So my opinions have perhaps been skewed by this, but there are many articles that say rising damp is generally a myth, or at least very rare.
The damp I've found has come from leaking gutters, poorly sealed windows and cement rendering over the stone which stops moisture getting out.

You could engage an independent damp surveyor who will do a report and are not tied to to a damp company but have heard they are quite costly.

If there's no retention by Nationwide, then don't panic but nothing to stop you using the report to try and reduce the price of the house, unless you've exchanged, which could then be tricky/costly.

G_M

The seller is unlikely to fix it - and if they do they'll do so as cheaply as possible. But why would they? They've lived there quite happily, probobly for years?, untroubled by this 'damp'.

It is you that has the concern, so it is you who should fix it.

You could, of course, try to renegotiate the price, and then it's a matter of
* what the survey actually says
* whether the eller believes it
* how desperate the seller is to sell to you
* how desperate you are to buy this property
* who is the better negotiator

Certainly if you really want to know if there's a real problem, don't ask a damp proof company. their business is installing damp solutions, so guess what? they'll find damp!

Pay an independant damp surveyor who does not fix damp problems.

Alternatively, get a free report from a damp proof company to show the seller to support your price negotiation.........

It's also worth speaking to your sureyor and asking him exactly

* where the damp is
* what is the cause?
* how he knows?
* how he diagnosed it (smell? mould? so-called 'damp' meter?)
* what is on the external wall outside the area of damp?

sometimes surveyors say a lot more informally than they'll write.

Mr.Generous

damp can be a problem, it may have just been painted over and mould will show not long after you buy, or it could just be a high reading on a meter with no real symptoms. Fixing is costly as it entails plaster off, injecting chemical and then re plastering with plastering sand / cement / damp proof additive. Its quite a skill to get the stuff smooth, then re decorate. You have to go at least 1 mtr high usually a bit more. If you leave it unchecked house could be cold, mouldy, smelly and decor failing repeatedly. On a terrace damp proofing ground floor (it never goes higher anything above 4 - 5 ft will be something else) will probably cost you about £1500 - £2000. revise your offer or look for a house already damp proofed.

AdrianC

Damp doesn't "rise" - take some bricks, and stack them neatly on a damp base. The top ones will stay dry, because the water simply doesn't wick up through brick in any meaningful way. Damp-proof courses were still a fairly novel requirement with that house was built.

Damp usually comes down - it does that quite a lot in some parts of the country - and sometimes it comes in, especially when basic maintenance has been neglected. Ground levels, gutters, that sort of thing.

Jasperella

Flashg67 thank you, no haven't exchanged yet. So I should put just accept the damp diagnoses, I should try and figure out what they believe the cause is?

G_M yes, they have been there a number of years. And they have not been in a huge rush to sell, it's been on the market a year, they declined an offer not long before mine because it was too low so they were waiting for a better offer.
It's a 3 bed semi, with the rest of the street except maybe 1 or 2, being 2 beds. They converted an attic to make it a 3.

This meant they were asking a good £10k more than the estimated value on zoopla which I think meant it didn't shift quickly. We had to make 4 offers before they accepted at 3k less than the asking price.
My point to this being, no I don't think they are that desperate to sell to us and haven't bended much in negotiate so far.

I'm in the US on holiday atm so only had a very brief chat with the surveyor at 5am this morning! I'll see if I can speak to him again once I receive the report. Maybe I'll speak to the vendor and ask what he did.

MrGenerous AdrianC I'm now wondering if it is to do with the cellar they have. That is blocked so I can't get down to it?!
Am I right in thinking that when you damp proof a house you get a certificate for the works done? I recall the surveyor saying it was a failed damp proof course...I wonder if the vendor has a guarantee for the work they had done. Or is that a meaningless piece of paper?

Thanks for the help everyone. I just feel a bit in limbo, being so far away from home to deal with this isn't helping, I like to do things promptly!

kev_pecker

Just to give you my experience of this, when I purchased my house the survey pointed out two small bits of damp, one in the kitchen (on an internal wall) and the other in the front room. I was sceptical, but I got a report from a damp company anyway and they quoted ~£600 for remediation.

After some research I didn't bother renegotiating, I just moved in and kept an eye on it.....low and behold three years later and nothing, not a single sign of damp.

Cakeguts

Jasperella wrote: »

Flashg67 thank you, no haven't exchanged yet. So I should put just accept the damp diagnoses, I should try and figure out what they believe the cause is?

G_M yes, they have been there a number of years. And they have not been in a huge rush to sell, it's been on the market a year, they declined an offer not long before mine because it was too low so they were waiting for a better offer.
It's a 3 bed semi, with the rest of the street except maybe 1 or 2, being 2 beds. They converted an attic to make it a 3.

It isn't a 3 bed semi it is a 2 bed with a loft conversion. There is a difference because a 3 bed semi has more space downstairs so you need to make sure that you don't pay the same for this property as you would for a similar purpose built 3 bed semi in the same area or you could find that you are paying more than it is worth.

G_M

a dampproof course is usually put in when the property is built, so no, there'll be no 'paper' for it unles there has been a previous problem and the seller had additional work done.

A damp celler is no more likely to make upstairs damp than anything else. as Adrian says, damp does not really 'rise'.

However, I'd be concerned about a celler you have no access to. what's down there?

Jasperella

Cakeguts wrote: »

It isn't a 3 bed semi it is a 2 bed with a loft conversion. There is a difference because a 3 bed semi has more space downstairs so you need to make sure that you don't pay the same for this property as you would for a similar purpose built 3 bed semi in the same area or you could find that you are paying more than it is worth.

Sorry, I was just quoting it as the EA classed it, but thank you. The agreed price is 117,000. It was listed as 120,000. It is in a good condition, and had a brand new boiler recently too. I've viewed others that were listed up to 125,000 that were 2beds but had say a private driveway or bigger garden but were in worse condition so I feel like we would be paying a fair price for the trade off. I was a little nervous in case the valuation did come back less but they have agreed the price so we are not paying over the odds for it?

Jasperella

G_M wrote: »

a dampproof course is usually put in when the property is built, so no, there'll be no 'paper' for it unles there has been a previous problem and the seller had additional work done.

A damp celler is no more likely to make upstairs damp than anything else. as Adrian says, damp does not really 'rise'.

However, I'd be concerned about a celler you have no access to. what's down there?

Thanks, I'll get questioning the owners! According to my OH he says they told him it was boarded up to help improve insulation in the house, keeping the heat in the downstairs etc. I'll see what I can find out tho!