Worried about house survey - leak and damp

wolfbane9

I'm buying a lovely little house in a nice area, first time buyer. However I've just had the HomeBuyer's Report back and it says -

"There is evidence of leaking in the roof which is damaging the roof structure. It needs to be investigated and get repaired urgently". 
It also mentions that the party wall is not sealed which is needed to prevent fire risk immediately. 
"A Proti meter, a moisture measuring instrument, was used to test the base of the ground floor wall structures and other areas susceptible to dampness penetration. Intermittent moderate to high damp meter readings were noted on the ground floor. Further investigation by a PCA registered damp proofing contractor is recommended. If damp proofing treatment is required, this could be expensive and will be disruptive. An estimate for any damp proofing treatments should be obtained prior to a legal commitment to purchase the property. This should include all associated works, for example, removal and reapplication of plaster, removal and replacement of joinery items, radiators, etc. Any damp proofing

treatment undertaken should be covered by a long-term, insurance backed guarantee."
It also says some other small repairs are needed including fascias soffits and gutters.
I'm devastated as there waa no sign when we looked and wondering how bad this is. Would you walk away? Am I looking at a huge cost here? I'm buying as a single parent so money is tight. Advice welcome. I am waiting for quotes. 

Doozergirl

There are so many threads about damp on this board and on the In My Home board.  It's rarely as bad as it seems, in fact, it's a very easy way for surveyors to wash their hands of any remote issue by handing you over to someone who will do a free survey and then sell you a very expensive but completely useless solution to it. 

Here's some bedtime reading for you: 
https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/the-fraud-of-rising-damp.html

Slithery

wolfbane9 said:

Further investigation by a PCA registered damp proofing contractor is recommended.

A terrible idea. PCA members are just salesmen who will give you a 'free' survey to talk you into buying their unneeded products which cause more harm than good.

Falafels

It's a good idea to have the party wall in the roof sealed, for both security and fire risk reasons, but it's hardly urgent. Many older terraces don't have them. Can you get on to the surveyor about the roof leak, and find out more? It could be something as simple as a slipped roof tile, which will not be an expensive operation.

youth_leader

I paid £300  for my buyer's PCA damp/timber report as a gesture of goodwill for my buyer, his lender valued my house at £0 until it was done.  When it arrived and was forwarded to his lender they threw it out as completely useless.  Damp can be as simple as an airbrick being covered up by decking etc, expensive treatments aren't always required.

wolfbane9

I'm guessing the leak is a cause of the damp however I don't know whether to ignore the damp if the leak is fixed or get a damp survey done at more cost. It seems damp is mentioned loads in surveys to cover the Surveyor's back but if it's a real issue it might cost me loads. 

Davesnave

The PCA tests are about as good as the PCR tests.

The roof leak is worth checking-up on, but the surveyor hasn't said the roof covering "is coming to the end of its useful life,"  so the prognosis doesn't look too bad.

A complete fire wall between houses is a good thing and ought to be done, but I'm guessing the house has been there a while with an incomplete one! Not a big job.

AdrianC

wolfbane9 said:

I'm buying a lovely little house in a nice area, first time buyer. However I've just had the HomeBuyer's Report back and it says -

"There is evidence of leaking in the roof which is damaging the roof structure. It needs to be investigated and get repaired urgently".

That would seem to be a fairly blatant truism... If the roof's leaking, then fixing it would indeed be a priority.

Did you look in the loft on your viewing(s)?

It also mentions that the party wall is not sealed which is needed to prevent fire risk immediately.

Probably the majority of older semi and terrace properties are not sealed. It does potentially allow a fire to spread, once it reaches the roof void, but at that point it's probably academic anyway...

"A Proti meter, a moisture measuring instrument, was used to test the base of the ground floor wall structures and other areas susceptible to dampness penetration. Intermittent moderate to high damp meter readings were noted on the ground floor. Further investigation by a PCA registered damp proofing contractor is recommended. If damp proofing treatment is required, this could be expensive and will be disruptive. An estimate for any damp proofing treatments should be obtained prior to a legal commitment to purchase the property. This should include all associated works, for example, removal and reapplication of plaster, removal and replacement of joinery items, radiators, etc. Any damp proofing treatment undertaken should be covered by a long-term, insurance backed guarantee."

Got to love the damp proofing industry's scaremongering.

Assuming it's not simply that the house is cold and empty, then it's almost certainly caused by trivial stuff - high ground levels breaching the DPC, climbing plants on the outside, basic maintenance... A good weekend or three of DIY will resolve the majority of causes.

It also says some other small repairs are needed including fascias soffits and gutters.

Basic ongoing maintenance for any property, unless they're already knackered - which would be visible from a ground level glance.

Sistergold

After purchase do you have a few thousands left just in case indeed there are urgent things to fix? Surveys always bring up a lot of flags which sometimes do not mean you can not proceed unless it’s obviously bad! The roof definitely needs to be fixed by current owner. The current owner should also have the damp issue looked into and fixed. Owner could also address sealing party wall to prevent fire risk?
If it’s a property you love, you have extra thousands after purchasing to right all possible wrongs if it should be necessary then you can just go ahead. Also keep in mind that home ownership does involve unplanned spendings even if a survey says everything is fine. So have emergency fund in place always. 

Rambosmum

The roof - good to know. HOWEVER, how old is the house and does the roof look original? Have the other similar age houses on the street had theirs replaced? If so and yours is original then it should have been fairly obvious it would need redoing (exceptions being a house less than 40yo). If the roof is new, or relatively new, then it may suggest slipped tiles. If the roof is old, get a quote for a replacement. If it's newish, get someone to inspect it. 

Damp - did the house smell or feel damp when you viewed? Did you see damp patches? flaking plaster or paint, white powdery paint? mold? Those are signs of a damp problem. Damp meters are not very reliable. They are a tool to be used along side other inspection tools. DO NOT get a damp survey, most are performed by companies wanting to sell you stuff. Our last house "had damp" (according to the survey) in the 8 years we lived there we saw or smelled no evidence of it! 

Party wall - I'm assuming a Victorian terrace or similar, in which care this is very common and whilst not great, it wouldn't stop me buying the house and wouldn't be the first (or second or third) thing on my to do list! 

If those are the biggest issues with the house, and I couldn't smell or see damp, I would negotiate the price down based on needing a new roof (personally I'd start at 5k and settle at 3 if Northern, more if southern).

wolfbane9

I've sent the key sections of the survey to the estate agent but now they're asking for the full survey. Should I give them this?