Will they take my new flat from me?

Smodlet

A dehumidifier addresses symptoms, not problems.  It could, if a buyer felt like being harsh, be seen as an attempt to mislead as to the property's condition.  Do you think any buyer will be happy to have a dehumidifier permanently installed?

Find the root problem and fix it properly OR be honest about it and price accordingly.  If your buyer(s) choose to commission a building survey, they will find out anyway.

AngelEyes91

Smodlet said:

A dehumidifier addresses symptoms, not problems.  It could, if a buyer felt like being harsh, be seen as an attempt to mislead as to the property's condition.  Do you think any buyer will be happy to have a dehumidifier permanently installed?

Find the root problem and fix it properly OR be honest about it and price accordingly.  If your buyer(s) choose to commission a building survey, they will find out anyway.

I don’t understand this comment, I just said I am not aware of any damp in the property. I didn’t even say the property had damp in the original post so I’m unsure how I’m meant to be “honest” about something I’m not aware of?

GDB2222

I wouldn’t worry Angel. It’s just the usual game of Chinese Whispers that the forum does. Often, it’s because the threads last days, and people forget what was at the beginning. 

hazyjo

Prob me lol. To briefly (haha) explain, from my experience, the surveyor may say the chimney shows signs of damp. If you choose to run a dehumidifier, please (obviously) don't have it on show for viewers, surveyor, etc.

In no way saying there is damp, or to hide it if you did have it, more that the damp meters are usually used in the wrong surfaces and buyers are often told there's damp when there's not.

Do what you like, I'm just giving suggestions, as requested

I'll get me coat 

Falafels

In your original post, you say you've signed the contract and TR1, and sent it back. Have contracts actually been exchanged? If so, there's nothing to worry about at all, even in the highly unlikely event (from your description) that the survey flagged up something major.

AngelEyes91

Falafels said:

In your original post, you say you've signed the contract and TR1, and sent it back. Have contracts actually been exchanged? If so, there's nothing to worry about at all, even in the highly unlikely event (from your description) that the survey flagged up something major.

We have yes but we haven’t exchanged, I believe it’s just my solicitor being prepared

Smodlet

@angeleyes, what hazyjo said.  There is a whole lot of discussion of damp issues on page 1; no-one said your house is damp.  None of us have been there so how could we know?

Chimneys are notorious for giving damp readings, often correctly, sometimes erroneously if they are properly vented.  Fwiw, I have not met many which were so vented when the chimney was capped; the one here was not so we had to have that fixed.  If the fireplace is in use, that is totally different.

AngelEyes91

Smodlet said:

@angeleyes, what hazyjo said.  There is a whole lot of discussion of damp issues on page 1; no-one said your house is damp.  None of us have been there so how could we know?

Chimneys are notorious for giving damp readings, often correctly, sometimes erroneously if they are properly vented.  Fwiw, I have not met many which were so vented when the chimney was capped; the one here was not so we had to have that fixed.  If the fireplace is in use, that is totally different.

Oh no so that may be an issue then! I can’t see anything but obviously it would be on the inside I suppose

AngelEyes91

May also be worth mentioning that the chimney has been closed up

Smodlet

If a chimney has been capped, it needs to be vented in more than one place; this I learned in this house.  All the other places I have lived in had working chimneys; this is the only one with a capped chimney I have met.  This is so air can circulate.

When we bought this house, along with myriad other issues, we found the chimney was vented in one place... Into the airing cupboard, thank you very much.  It was on a par with the disgusting, slug-green, plastic, fake tiles in the bathroom and the four inch nails used to hold up curtain battens; say "goodbye" to your plaster and some of your wall when you correct that.  I could not make this up.

Our wonderful builder dude told us chimneys should not be vented on the first floor but on the ground floor and in the loft:  Two vents, as far apart vertically as possible, so air circulates and prevents damp from forming.  It makes perfect sense to me.