Buying first home - survey/damp issues

vitaminz

So bit of an update here, the seller asked if we could get a free quote from a damp specialist for the house as he didn't quite trust the survey. They identified rising damp in the property (as the surveyor did), and they have quoted £2800 + VAT for the work. The seller has agreed to pay for the work himself AND supply us with a guarantee/certificate afterwards, on the condition that we have our solicitor write up a contract that promises/assures the seller that we will buy the property if the work is done and a certificate is provided.

I think it's great that he's offering to do the work, but the whole thing about the contract is ringing alarm bells to me. Surely he'd need to do the work to sell it anyway, so why does he need this contract? I'm also concerned that the contract would need to be 'water tight' (relevant phrase there!) to ensure if the specialists miss anything we're not obliged to go ahead with the purchase.

Any thoughts in this?

G_M

Don't do it.

Get £2800 + VATknocked off the price, buy it, and then do the work yourself.

Whistler23

And it will not actually cost that much. Your free quote is from a salesman who wants to do the work.

Get an independent surveyor with no vested interest in making money out of you to give their opinion.

We are purchasing a property that had 12k's worth or work quoted by a damp proofing company. Turns out it's more likely 4k via a tradesman. Or I plan to have it all done for less than a grand doing most of it my self. So a potential saving for 11k...

Also, depends who you ask but some will say rising damp doesnt actually exist.