House valuation concerns...please help!

depressed_but_determined

We had exactly the same damp issues flagged up on a house we had an offer in for. After further investigation and a timber survey the cost of work to be carried out was 7.5k. The sellers wouldn't meet half way so we let it go.
It had been empty over the winter and what was probably easily sorted at the beginning had become a much bigger problem. Withdrawing was hard but we just didn't have that amount t of money to spend before even moving in.
I hope it turns out to be easily fixed.

SG27

depressed_but_determined wrote: »

We had exactly the same damp issues flagged up on a house we had an offer in for. After further investigation and a timber survey the cost of work to be carried out was 7.5k. The sellers wouldn't meet half way so we let it go.
It had been empty over the winter and what was probably easily sorted at the beginning had become a much bigger problem. Withdrawing was hard but we just didn't have that amount t of money to spend before even moving in.
I hope it turns out to be easily fixed.

Who did the survey? Was it an independant damp surveyor or a company that also carries out damp work?

SG27

mandgreen wrote: »

Thanks all for your replies. I am relieved the movement is pretty much normal! I have decided to follow your advice and book a damp and timber survey which is being done Friday this week.

The surveyors want £190 upfront for it, is this normal practice? I'm always a bit wary about paying anything upfront!

Its the free ones you need to worry about, they will find £1000s of work that probably doesnt need doing!

SG27

buggy_boy wrote: »

Nothing that can't be fixed although the damp problem is the one area that needs to be sorted, I would be inclined to ask the seller to sort it before buying as it could run into the thousands to fix. Saying that it could just be something silly like a faulty gutter but given its on the ground floor I doubt it..

I wouldnt get the vendor to do it. They will get it done as cheaply as possible, or just bodge it themselves. Knock the money off your offer instead.

esmy

Please, if you have children, replace the glass doors. We didn't consider it a priority, and our youngest put her bare foot through it, needing surgery and a stay in hospital.

bris

You have to remember this house is priced accordingly so they will know about the problems. The valuation has came back at the correct price so it priced for it's current state.


So these matters don't affect value as the value is spot on.

mandgreen

So after all my panicking the damp survey has come back with only one issue costing approx £600! This is as follows -


Conclusions
The dampness appears to be caused by a bridging of the damp proof course due to plaster being in direct contact with the solid floor. This will allow moisture within the slab to contaminate the plaster.

Recommendations
Remove skirting boards to both sides of the partition wall between
the right-hand side reception room and under-stairs cupboard. Cut-back the plaster by approximately 30mm. Install larger (pre-treated) skirting boards.

Quotation
A maintenance person should be instructed to carry out this work.
We recommend a contingency sum of approximately £600.00 for
this work.


The report goes on to say there is no evidence of rising damp or any other indicators of external/internal damp.

I suppose I should be glad but now I think i paid £190 for the survey for nothing as I don't think its really worth negotiating £600 off the house price? grrr

For those worrying about the glass door I'm pretty sure its the old back door but we plan on getting rid of this and bricking it up anyway as we are going to build an extension to give us access to the back garden.

Doozergirl

mandgreen wrote: »

So after all my panicking the damp survey has come back with only one issue costing approx £600! This is as follows -


Conclusions
The dampness appears to be caused by a bridging of the damp proof course due to plaster being in direct contact with the solid floor. This will allow moisture within the slab to contaminate the plaster.

Recommendations
Remove skirting boards to both sides of the partition wall between
the right-hand side reception room and under-stairs cupboard. Cut-back the plaster by approximately 30mm. Install larger (pre-treated) skirting boards.

Quotation
A maintenance person should be instructed to carry out this work.
We recommend a contingency sum of approximately £600.00 for
this work.


The report goes on to say there is no evidence of rising damp or any other indicators of external/internal damp.

I suppose I should be glad but now I think i paid £190 for the survey for nothing as I don't think its really worth negotiating £600 off the house price? grrr

For those worrying about the glass door I'm pretty sure its the old back door but we plan on getting rid of this and bricking it up anyway as we are going to build an extension to give us access to the back garden.

I don't see why you can't negotiate the £600 off if you're that disappointed. No big deal for anyone is it, really?

Sounds like you've picked a good house for the money. You can be happy about that instead of disappointed! Ultimately you pay these people in the hope that they do say there's nothing wrong. If you can get a damp surveyor to say that then you've landed on your feet with them too. Well done