Seller didn't disclose a defect

[Deleted User]

If the carpets smell, there is no way on earth I'd want to walk on them.  If the walls are colder than other parts of the building, this is the problem I had.  Front of the building got the sun, back never did.  Walls were always cold and once I remedied that, the mould never came back.  No need for PIV.

Davesnave

MalMonroe said:

iampetesmith said:

Well having the contract rescinded is completely out of the question as the sale is completed and everyone moved months ago, even after exchange you couldn't do this.

You probably know the answer, but you're stuck with it and will need to find someone to come out and look at it & treat it as it's your house now. If the vendor simply didn't mention it, then there's no comeback on them as it's up to the buyer to check out the condition of the house, usually by having a survey done. If that meant your buyer had to wait and the whole sale would be delayed while waiting for a survey, then that's how it would have to be to make sure you found out about these issues before you exchanged contracts.

Once contracts are exchanged then the house is yours, along with any problems that come with it.

What nonsense. You obviously have no idea of property law.

We're still waiting to see your version of it. Well over 3 hours now and nothing regarding this famed legislation posted.

Why do I suspect we're going to be disappointed?

babyblade41

OP.. rip the carpets up if they smell. I'm 100 percent certain you have water getting in somewhere ... If you had the damp I had in my latest property then you have a problem ... all solvable ..As for resource, you have Bob Hope and no hope 

Davesnave

AnotherJoe said:

Its not a  clear cut issue such as  subsidence not disclosed, or known woodworm or something that the buyer could not have created through their own actions.

Exactly, so it's very wrong for a certain poster to suggest there's realistic hope of redress and thus encourage the OP to throw good money after bad.

When we bought our bungalow, it hadn't escaped our attention that there were after-market ventilators in almost every room, which was worrying because no one bores half a dozen 10cm holes in the outside walls for fun. However, we knew the property was conventionally built and basically sound, so we decided to treat the extra vents as historic.

 I removed all the strange extra vents in the bungalow as we decorated. There were no dire consequences, even when we got rid of the oil guzzling Aga that ran non-stop all through the winter. To this day, I don't know what conditions here prompted someone to add massively to the ventilation, but it must surely have been a matter of lifestyle to some extent.

davidmcn

AnotherJoe said:

Its not a  clear cut issue such as  subsidence not disclosed, or known woodworm or something that the buyer could not have created through their own actions.

Especially if nobody has a record of the conversation which the OP claims occurred. The vendor could just as easily claim that yes, they were asked the question and they gave a full disclosure of the damp issues.

suchadipstick

I am new to the forum, so thank you all for your comments and suggestions, I will reply to all in one go; I hope that's ok???
Oh, dear, it looks as if I may have unintentionally  stirred up a hornets nest judging by some of the replies received: very many apologies for that.
More background on the bungalow....
This is a semi, of brick construction, with a pitched, tiled roof and suspended floor, built in about 1940. The bungalow has cavity wall insulation, double glazing and loft insulation. The first room that has bad damp/mould issues has an adjoining wall with the neighbour, one external wall [ north facing] and two internal ones: it has built in wardrobes across an internal wall. The second room with the same issues has two external walls [ north and east facing] and two internal ones, with built in wardrobes along one of the outer ones; both have large bay windows. I have two windows in each room that are permanently open on the catch and I have the central heating on and the doors shut. There are other areas of damp in the house, but not to the same extent.
I keep the place ventilated, having the windows open and door shut when cooking for example.
The bathroom has a fan that vents outside and I open the windows every day.
The rear of the property was extended by approximately 2 metres 5 years ago, by the previous owner.
I fully intend to remove the stinking carpets and underlay, but there is just one of me and I am also a full time carer.

MovingForwards

Do you want to post some photos of the problem areas? It's possible some members may be able to say what they think is causing the problem(s) and how to solve it.

168hourweek

Hi
Is it a solid floor?
Radiator/Wet system?
Have a look to see if the pipework is leaking in the screed 

Davesnave

suchadipstick said:

Oh, dear, it looks as if I may have unintentionally  stirred up a hornets nest judging by some of the replies received: very many apologies for that.
More background on the bungalow....
This is a semi, of brick construction, with a pitched, tiled roof and suspended floor, built in about 1940. The bungalow has cavity wall insulation,

 There's no need to apologise. People who regularly frequent this board are used to controversy and 'robust' discussions; it's all part of interpreting property law. Varying attitudes/knowledge around the practical elements of property ownership will always exist too.

Generally, the more info you give, the better. You've already ruled out the possibility of concrete panel construction with the latest post and raised the spectre of cavity wall insulation which may, or may not, help to explain the particular problems you're having. There is nothing wrong with CWI itself in the right situation, but in exposed positions in wet areas of the country it can lead to damp issues, especially if the filling was done poorly by firms less skilled or seeking the fastest payout for the subsidies given at one time for such energy-saving work.

We have CWI and live in an exposed place, but ours seems to be fine and we have no issues at all. However, if  it had been done badly, I'd expect problems to show up on the most exposed walls, or those facing north.

Underfloor ventilation is certainly worth checking too with suspended floors. We had it in our last house, but it was insufficient and we added air bricks; an easy DIY job that we also expected to lower the Radon count, though we didn't re-test.

macman

How did you miss the 'stinking carpets and underlay' during your own inspection? Since you did not bother with a survey, it's assumed that you at least did your own room by room check for obvious defects?
If this was not present in August, then it's not damp, but some sort of leak.