Vendor digging heels over Damp & timber survey

Bacon_Sandwich

FTBs here, purchasing a semi detached house built in early 1900s.
Need some advice plase as the vendor is being uncooperative over a survey?
Our homebuyer report suggested having a damp and timber survey done, as high moisture readings were recorded in some of the ground floor walls.
We've booked a damp proofing company in to do a survey, and the vendors were fine with this at first, but now they've spoken to the company to book the appointment, they are not ok with it, basically accusing us of employing cowboys/con artists. They have suggested sending a "surveyor not a salesman" (their words!), and offered to pay our bill to hire an "PCA accredited independent surveyor" (again their words), as our survey is aparently significantly cheaper than the one they're insisting we have.

To be honest I'm absolutely fuming that theyd have the cheek to suggest we're hiring cowboys, and thinking of pulling out of the sale altogether. If they are being un co-operative over a survey, then theyve obviously got something to hide. What should we do? tell them to shove it? I dont see why we should have to have some fancy surveyor just because they say so, or tolerate their attitude.

jennhg88

What's the problem? They want to pay for a proper survey. A damp proof company will send a salesman. Simples.

foxy-stoat

If you ask a damp proofing company to do a survey they will want to sell you their services so may be biased in their findings. If I was the vendor I would lend no weight to the results of a company trying to sell you damp proof work - at least with an independent company would give an unbiased opinion of the condition of the property.

If their attitude is that bad then they are bad vendors - not very positive when they have something to sell.

TamsinC

Actually they are probably right - the firms that do a free or cheap survey often are selling the product too and will suggest large amounts of money need spending when they probably don't. AN independent survey will at least not get a kick back for recommending a product. See the myth of rising damp. https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/the-fraud-of-rising-damp.html Also the meters the surveyors tend to use to measure damp just don't - they were developed to measure resistance to an electrical current in bare wood only. Using them on plaster or painted wood is completely irrelevant.

Did the house smell damp?

If you were my buyer I would let you have your cheap and probably crappy survey but I wouldn't take any notice of the result - there would be no discount no matter what the survey said. Also a turn of the last century house needs to breathe - installing the wrong type of damp solution will make the house worse not better. You need to find the original source of the damp {probably a blocked gutter} and fix that. If I loved my old house and thought someone would wreck it by installing an inappropriate damp course I would consider pulling the sale myself

You don't' 'have' to have some fancy surveyor or 'tolerate' their attitude - but neither do they have to sell to you. But they are offered to pay for a proper survey - to me that sounds they aren't trying to cover anything up but actually doing you a favour.

hazyjo

They've prob been on here and been told that advice!


Search this forum for 'timber damp survey salesman' as that 'salesman' term comes up a lot when those sort of surveys/inspections are commissioned.


Agree with others that they're prob right.

Bacon_Sandwich

Thanks. there was no smell or stains or sign of any damp when we viewed on 3 occasions plus a further viewing to measure for furniture/curtains. its a nicely kept lived-in house. So i don't see why they'd kick up a fuss

hazyjo

The term 'salesman' means they will try to sell you something. They will find something wrong or that should have been done. I'm sure you could find moisture in all houses, it's just how that moisture is interpreted. A salesman is likely to tell you something other than a surveyor.

bigisi

Bacon_Sandwich wrote: »

Thanks. there was no smell or stains or sign of any damp when we viewed on 3 occasions plus a further viewing to measure for furniture/curtains. its a nicely kept lived-in house. So i don't see why they'd kick up a fuss

You've been told in every other post above your reply, why are you asking on here if you're just going to ignore everything anyone says?

Rude.

foxy-stoat

On the plus side, I think I know what I will have for lunch now !!!

MMMMM bacon sandwich .....

TamsinC

Bacon_Sandwich wrote: »

Thanks. there was no smell or stains or sign of any damp when we viewed on 3 occasions plus a further viewing to measure for furniture/curtains. its a nicely kept lived-in house. So i don't see why they'd kick up a fuss

They kick up a fuss because the firm you have instructed will try to tell you it needs a couple of thousand of pounds at least spent on a new damp course - probably injection - which actually won't be necessary and you will then try to guzunder and get that money that doesn't actually need spending off the purchase price. They are kicking up a fuss to PROTECT YOU from unnecessary work and them from an unnecessary price reduction. They are wiling to pay for an independent survey. Why are YOU kicking up a fuss?

Bacon_Sandwich

OK I've dug out what they said in email to the EA.
"While we acknowledge the requirement for a damp & timber survey, and are happy to accommodate, we have concerns regarding the company that **** have employed to carry out the survey. Having spoken the firm in question, and taking the liberty of researching them on the internet, we think we have valid reason to object to their employment on this occasion. Our concerns stem from the fact that they are not independent surveyors, but a contractor (one that is poorly reviewed at that). We are concerned that we will receive a sales person prospecting for work and commission, rather than the advice of an independent surveyor, which will likely suggest unnecessary works and potentially hold us to ransom.
We therefore suggest that **** employ a PCA registered independent surveyor to carry out the survey. We understand that the costs of employing such a surveyor would be around £200, and as a gesture of goodwill, and to ensure a fair and accurate survey, we would be more than happy to cover this cost ourselves."

So its not just the fact that there might be dmap. it the attitude and the patronising way they write. basically saying weve done something stupid and completely rejecting our choice of surveyor. naughty us.