DPC installed two owners ago

Phil4432

Whats the surface drainage outside of the walls like?  Has there been a new driveway since the house was built?

Drains and gutters all good?

Emily_Joy

Phil4432 said:

Whats the surface drainage outside of the walls like?  Has there been a new driveway since the house was  built?  Drains and gutters all good?

 I am not sure what do you mean by the driveway. The front garden has been replaced by the parking place. Drains and gutters appear to be good. I didn't pay attention to the surface drainage, but we can try visit again after the rain maybe... It is paved immediately around the house.

SummerWaves

I've come up with a similar issue on a property I'm planning to buy, which is a 2 bed ground floor Victorian flat. It turns out a DPC has been done twice already (2005 and 2015) through previous owners, and rising damp has been picked up in two rooms on the survey. No major signs, but skirting boards are deteriorating and marks are starting to appear on the walls. Got an independent specialist round (the company who did the previous work) and agree it needs to be done, but isn't covered under the guarantee due to current owners remodelling and it also being in different places. 

Have managed to negotiate the house price down, but I am concerned this could be a bigger issue as it's come back multiple times, either in the same places, as well as different places.

I need to make a decision today as to if I'm moving forward or not, (initially stepped away due to low negotiations). Any thoughts will be really appreciated, as being a first time buyer don't know much about this!

stuart45

I wouldn't say the previous installer is a totally independent surveyor. 
Nowadays a better solution of looking at all the possible causes of dampness such as leaking gutters, high ground levels, defective pointing, cracked render, condensation, leaking pipes etc. and putting those right, and then using lime plaster on the walls is found to be a better long term job.
One of the tricks of the trade for firms was to give a certificate with a 30 year warranty, and a separate contract full of loopholes.
My friend used to tell people, especially property developers, to lose their contract when selling, and show the buyers the certificate.
Any comebacks meant that he had the contract on hand to show that that they weren't covered for the new work.

SummerWaves

stuart45 said:

I wouldn't say the previous installer is a totally independent surveyor. 
Nowadays a better solution of looking at all the possible causes of dampness such as leaking gutters, high ground levels, defective pointing, cracked render, condensation, leaking pipes etc. and putting those right, and then using lime plaster on the walls is found to be a better long term job.
One of the tricks of the trade for firms was to give a certificate with a 30 year warranty, and a separate contract full of loopholes.
My friend used to tell people, especially property developers, to lose their contract when selling, and show the buyers the certificate.
Any comebacks meant that he had the contract on hand to show that that they weren't covered for the new work.

Thanks stuart45! I did quotes from a few specialist. From the list you mentioned the only thing that got picked up in the survey is minor condensation around the windows. That's probably what happened with the contract, as it's only the certificate plus all the works listed out. My concern is that it keeps coming back and then that it could be a bigger job to fix. It's hard not to be a cautious buyer when it's your first property, so any advice is always helpful!

Emily_Joy

SummerWaves said: Thanks stuart45! I did quotes from a few specialist. From the list you mentioned the only thing that got picked up in the survey is minor condensation around the windows. That's probably what happened with the contract, as it's only the certificate plus all the works listed out. My concern is that it keeps coming back and then that it could be a bigger job to fix. It's hard not to be a cautious buyer when it's your first property, so any advice is always helpful!

Minor condensation around windows is normal, especially if the windows are not new.  Most likely it has no connection with the damp issues, if they are present (especially this time of the year!).

Emily_Joy

stuart45 said:

I wouldn't say the previous installer is a totally independent surveyor. 
Nowadays a better solution of looking at all the possible causes of dampness such as leaking gutters, high ground levels, defective pointing, cracked render, condensation, leaking pipes etc. and putting those right, and then using lime plaster on the walls is found to be a better long term job.
One of the tricks of the trade for firms was to give a certificate with a 30 year warranty, and a separate contract full of loopholes.
My friend used to tell people, especially property developers, to lose their contract when selling, and show the buyers the certificate.
Any comebacks meant that he had the contract on hand to show that that they weren't covered for the new work.

For how long would the firm be keeping the contract? Would it be sensible to ask the solicitor to get a copy of the contract from the firm?

stuart45

He used to keep the contract for the length of time of the warranty. The contract was more to protect him rather than the customer. It mainly stated exactly what work was carried out, which particular parts of the house were done, and which particular type of damp he was responsible for. If a customer was to find evidence of dampness in the wall a few years later, it could be argued that condensation was the cause, which wasn't covered, only rising damp.
When people buy a house with a 30 year warranty, they often assume the property is covered for all types of damp, in the whole house.

FreeBear

stuart45 said:

He used to keep the contract for the length of time of the warranty.

When people buy a house with a 30 year warranty, they often assume the property is covered for all types of damp, in the whole house.

Invariably, the warranty is often so full of exclusion clauses and cop-outs, it is pretty much worthless.

Mistral001

Emily_Joy said:

stuhse said:

In my experience damp prof guarantees are not worth the paper they are written on.  The best evidence is the work was done in 2007 and  "At the moment there is no sign of any damp issues and the house appears to be pristine."   .  So it would appear to be working just fine?

I am worried the DPC application together with replastering just masked the real issue for the time being that will need to be dealt with sooner than later. But it is possible of course I am overthinking it.

Yes you are overthinking.