Damp 1930's cellar in house we're buying

Emmazom

So we had an offer accepted on a 1930's semi on Friday, the main selling point for us was the cellar.

The front of the house is accesssed at street level, the back of the house is then above groud, so out of the kitchen door onto a terrace, and down steps to the backgarden. Here you gain access to the basement, there is currently no entrance to the basement from the inside of the house.

The vendor said that the basement is damp, she didnt elaborate, there are 4 rooms in the basement but only 3 have been opened, 2 rooms currently have working radiators in there. The floors are concrete and painted, the same with the walls.

It did smell musty when we went down there, but it isnt currently in use, however it didnt feel particuarly cold and I couldnt see any water on the ground or damp patches.

We will be getting a full structural survery, but from what I have read on here they generally exagerate the damp issues.

Our long term plan is to build a staircase from the main floor, convert one room into an office, and then the rest of the space, insert patio doors etc to make it into a sort of summerhouse off the garden.

I'm just wondering what we should expect, and if there is a damp problem how we could go about fixing it, the likely work invloved and of course cost. Thanks

booksurr

damp-proofing a cellar is called "tanking"

I have no idea of costs, this is the first google result searching on "tanking a cellar"
https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/tanking-making-cellars-dry/

I have no connection with that company nor any idea if their £750 - £1,200 per sq meter is good, bad or average - obviously hugely dependent on location presumably

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

What does "only 3 rooms have been opened" mean?

G_M

It is unlikely the basement rooms in a 1930s house were intended as habitable.

To make them habitable they would need tanking, This may have been done, either badly, or it's since failed, or it may never have been done.

Either way it's an expensive job.

The seller has warned you of the damp, so whatever the survey says, you are not in a position to negotiate price - you viewed the property, and made an offer, knowing of the damp.

Either
* buy, and pay to properly damp-proof the basement, in due course when finance allows or

* buy and use the basement only for purposes appropriate for a damp basement (eg storage of things which don't deteriorate in damp)

* walk away

Emmazom

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

What does "only 3 rooms have been opened" mean?

there are 4 rooms in the basement, yet one is bricked up, currently only 3 rooms are open and accessable

G_M wrote: »

It is unlikely the basement rooms in a 1930s house were intended as habitable.

To make them habitable they would need tanking, This may have been done, either badly, or it's since failed, or it may never have been done.

Either way it's an expensive job.

The seller has warned you of the damp, so whatever the survey says, you are not in a position to negotiate price - you viewed the property, and made an offer, knowing of the damp.

Either
* buy, and pay to properly damp-proof the basement, in due course when finance allows or

* buy and use the basement only for purposes appropriate for a damp basement (eg storage of things which don't deteriorate in damp)

* walk away

She says that it's damp, but her two sons used the rooms as their bedrooms for several years, that's what led me to beleive that it may not actually be damp, she was just referring to the mustiness

Doozergirl

It's below ground. It's supposed be damp!

The vendor has told you it is damp.

Musty is damp.

I think you can safely assume it is damp.

As already said, it has to be tanked to be dry. It is hard work and has to be carried out by a specialist and a long guarantee provided as they are liable to fail.

The exaggeration of damp issues on surveys applies to rooms above ground!

G_M

Emmazom wrote: »

..... that's what led me to beleive that it may not actually be damp, she was just referring to the mustiness

Ah! Yes - 'mustiness' is more easily solved. Make sure that no one who enters the basement breathes out, since it is the expelled air from lungs that causes the mustiness.

Or is that just me? Must remember to get a new toothbrush.......

metamatic

Bricked up cellar room?

Is the vendor a Mr Fritzl?

melstar11

We used to live in a very similar 1930s house OP. There was access within the house to the cellars though. The ground floor level rooms at the back of the house had no damp and there were radiators. The front cellar room with the wall underground was fine for storage on racking with a dehumidifier. We had a quote to dig out the floor to give greater head height, tank the whole cellar, take out a dividing wall and fit a steel, fit a new staircase, etc which was around £30k.

In the end we decided not to go ahead as most of the cellar was perfectly usable and we didn't feel it would add much in terms of value and we wouldn't get our money back if we sold. Other projects such as a side extension adding floor space would have done.