Damp in a house, good or bad?

Queen_B_3

Hi everyone

We've just had our survey back on a house that we are hoping to buy. The surveyer has noticed that there is damp in the house. When we viewed the house the vendor told us that the house had been had damp proof course put in.

We're in a bit of a pickle now because my partners parents are telling us to pull out because damp in a house is bad. On the other hand my parents are telling us that as long as its not excessive there is no problem.

We're going to ask to what extent the damp is and can it be fixed as the damp proof course should stil be under guarantee??

So I'm just wondering what other peoples views are on this sort of thing?

Any advice appreciated

Curv

Whee in the house is the damp and what 'severity' does the surveyor give to the damp? i.e. Urgent - needing immediate attention? Should be addressed at some point in the future? Requires mortgage retention?

Our victorian end-terrace has some slight damp in the cellar but was barely mentioned in the homebuyer report when we bought it. We've never needed to do anything about it and it's not got any worse over time.

cattie

Most older properties suffer with some level of damp. Your surveyor, if you had a homebuyer's or building survey as opposed to just the valuation, should indicate whether the damp readings are within an acceptable range for the particular property.

With a homebuyer's survey, most will mention getting in a specialist to give a report on such things as damp, timber, electrics etc.

Debt_Free_Chick

"Damp" is just too general to be of any use to a buyer.

What matters is the cause of the damp, whether it can be rectified, how and at what cost.

One cause of damp is a leaking gutter - which can be rectified, even by a novice DIYer for a cost of a few quid!

You need to go back to the surveyor and ask that he give you more information. The likely answer is that his little meter just registered some moisture - which might be damp, but could just be condensation. If he didn't check, then you'll need to get a specialist surveyor in to undertake more investigation.

Don't go to a company that sells damp "solutions". They'll just wave their meter around and tell you that you need to buy their product :mad:

Queen_B_3

Cheers for all the responses. we only went for the basic report, it's so irritating as it doesn't say at all where it is. We went to the ea on Sat and they are sending someone round this week to see what the damage is. I'm hoping its something that can be rectified on the guarantee from the damp proof course. My boyfriend is acting like its a really bad thing and is saying we should pull out but if it's fixable or not bad then I don't see the problem with it.

Gorgeous_George

I could be a surveyor.

There may be damp. The electrics need to be checked by a professional. Gas installations shoud be looked at by a CORGI muppet. All dimensions are for indication only and in no way represent the actual room sizes. Hot water may be hot. That'll be £300 thank you and goodnight.

GG

jaype

If it is condensation damp then beware - rented one like that. Ruined all our furniture and books, and clothes constantly stank. Landlord (who was very good about it) eventually gave up trying to cure it and sold the place.

SquatNow

I think pretty much every survey report will list "damp" since:
A) Few houses are totally damp free, usless left empty with the heating on and the windows open for 6 month
Surveyors like to cover their !!!!.

real1314

jaype wrote: »

If it is condensation damp then beware - rented one like that. Ruined all our furniture and books, and clothes constantly stank. Landlord (who was very good about it) eventually gave up trying to cure it and sold the place.

erm, condensation damp is from the occupants and their lifestyle. like boiling pans, drying clothes, showering etc all without ventilation.

even breathing produces condensation.

if you ventilate properly, it's not a problem. if you don't, it is.

rising damp is different. although that's often exacerbated by poor ventilation too

Running_Horse

Queen_B wrote: »

Cheers for all the responses. we only went for the basic report, it's so irritating as it doesn't say at all where it is. We went to the ea on Sat and they are sending someone round this week to see what the damage is. I'm hoping its something that can be rectified on the guarantee from the damp proof course. My boyfriend is acting like its a really bad thing and is saying we should pull out but if it's fixable or not bad then I don't see the problem with it.

It didn't give more information because it is a basic report. Why try to cut corners on something as expensive as a house? Get a full survey done.

Please clarify; is the estate agent going round, or sending someone who knows about damp?

Don't hold your breath on the guarantee rectifying any problems. They are notoriously useless pieces of paper.

Your boyfriend should calm down. It is fixable.

In answer to the question in the thread title. Damp is a bad thing, not good.

inmypocketnottheirs

Also, beware that damp (rising) as opposed to condensation (airborne) can lead to dry rot.

If it is anything other than airborne moisture then you should have a proper survey done to establish the cause and to see if there is any dry rot.

If it is airborne moisture then fitting an air brick at the coldest point of the house will resolve the probem.

With our quest to live in snug, warm, draft free homes we do not give the airborne moisture any exit route. This means the condensation is attracted to the coldest point of the house, usually an outside corner, which then goes mouldy or causes wall paper to peel.