Potential Damp issue

Jim87

Hi All,

I went to see a house yesterday that is recently back in the market after the buyer offered £100k less than what was agreed (apparently £800k was accepted) after a housing survey revealed something. The estate agent “doesn’t know” what the report said as it was his colleague dealing with it, but thinks it might be because of damp. We then went downstairs to the basement and saw a dehumidifier so pretty clear that was the issue.

It was a really nice house, needs renovating anyway regardless of the damp and is Victorian. Appreciate it’s difficult to put a price on these things, but what damage would a worse case scenario damp issue cost? £30k? £40k? also how long would it take to do as I read online it can take months for the wall to dry before being able to plaster? Any advice as to how this could be factored into an initial offer price?

Thanks

Doozergirl

Damp shouldn't be expensive to fix when you avoided anyone that sells damp proofing treatments or offers surveys that are free, or next to free.   

People do get afraid of relatively minor issues and can run just at the mention of the word.  Surveys read like horror stories, even when they aren't, and inexperienced home owners can and do baulk at them.  

It really depends on what the issues are, but the premise is that there is always water getting somewhere that it shouldn't, so you trace it back to source, stop it by removing the water (not blocking it from coming through a wall), allowing it to dry out and then plastering the wall, if it needs it.   Ideally using lime.  

Cellars are supposed to be damp.   They are also supposed to be breezy, with air bricks front and back.  You can get high humidity in the house if it can't escape from the cellar.  You can put insulation between the joists to keep upstairs warm, but the ceiling should not be plaster-boarded.  It's even natural for cellars to flood on occasion. 

Otherwise damp is caused by leaks from above - broken guttering, misdirected downpipes, roofs, flashings or chimneys in need of repair.   Poor pointing, rendering, badly fitted windows or plants growing on or against the walls can also be culprits.  

Downstairs ground levels can be too high.   The ground should be 150mm below damp proof course and paving should tilt away from the house. 

Houses also need to breathe and airflow should be good.  Open fireplaces, trickle vents on windows, mechanical extraction, even heating.  

There is quite a list, but it is limited.  If there is an area of damp, you check what is immediately on the other side.  

You can post photos if you can find evidence of damp, or areas you think might be issues.  Both sides of any affected walls and looking at the context of the walls, not just the actual damp patch - remember that the problem can be up high or down below, so photographing whole walls is helpful.  

Jim87

Thanks for the reply. We didn’t get a chance to photograph the walls, however did see a grey patch on concrete behind a cupboard that looked to be under the bay windows (in the basement) on one side of the wall, then another brown on painted white the opposite side of the wall. It seemed the walls had just been painted relatively recently as there weren’t any patches of damp anywhere on the walls (without looking behind cupboards).

Jim87

Sorry I didn’t mean opposite, I meant the wall next to it (so south & east facing).

Doozergirl

If you choose to have a second viewing, take photos and post them for us.