Damp and timbers report

Seanj123

Currently going threw buying our first home and nationwide have requested we obtain a damp and timbers report on the house. The report has came back with a suggestion of around £7000 worth of work needs doing. I’m pretty competent and could more or less do it all myself for around £1000. What happens now with nationwide giving me a valuation and potentially a mortgage offer 

youth_leader

Following with interest.  My buyer's mortgage lender, NatWest Bank, also requested a damp/timber report but threw it out as unsuitable for a heritage house.  I never discovered the value of my house as they'd valued it at £0 whilst waiting for the report and results. 

FreeBear

Seanj123 said:

Currently going threw buying our first home and nationwide have requested we obtain a damp and timbers report on the house. The report has came back with a suggestion of around £7000 worth of work needs doing. I’m pretty competent and could more or less do it all myself for around £1000. What happens now with nationwide giving me a valuation and potentially a mortgage offer 

let me guess - It was a PCA affiliated surveyor salesman who happens to work for a damp treatment company ?

They found extensive rising damp that requires a chemical injected DPC and waterproof render/plaster to a height of 1.2m internally.

If there is any damp, the work mentioned above will just mask the problems for a few years without actually fixing the root cause. Damp at the base of the wall is usually a result of elevated ground levels or water splashing up from a leaking gutter or downpipe. Faulty flashing and/or roof defects can also cause damp internally some distance away.

Nationwide may hold back on some of the funds until you get the work done - If they do, they'll probably want sight of the invoice and a guarantee before releasing the remaining funds. Doing the work yourself probably wouldn't be acceptable to them. If you haven't already sent the report off, I'd suggest contacting an independent surveyor without any links to a damp & timber treatment company, and preferably not one with PCA membership (check with Nationwide first to make sure they will accept his credentials). It will cost you a few quid, but if he says the £7K of work is unnecessary, you'll have saved doing untold damage to the building.

Seanj123

No, it was an independent pca suryvor, it cost me £395. He’s pointed out the root cause of the damp issues which to me are minor, no rising damp or damp course issues.  I did question why he had put the remediation works so high and he said how high contractors are these days, iv handed the findings over to nationwide. Fingers crossed on how this goes now 

FreeBear

Out of a matter of interest, what were the root causes he found ?

And what did he suggest as a fix ?

Seanj123

Chimney pots had no cowels on. So was allowing water down and creating a small amount of damp at the bottom of the stack, a faulty down pipe that was allowing water ti hit the side of house and penetrate damp, and a patio built above dpc, so needed a soak away put in down the side of the house. The result was damp walls inside that needed hacking off and replastering, all the works are concentrated on one room so not a huge job. 

Grizebeck

I've had a damp report done but won't be using the company. Just so I know what I am looking at work wise. 
I am just going to take a belt and braces approach and inject all ground floor walls even if they don't need it.

FreeBear

Grizebeck said:

I've had a damp report done but won't be using the company. Just so I know what I am looking at work wise. 
I am just going to take a belt and braces approach and inject all ground floor walls even if they don't need it.

Save your money and don't spend a penny on injecting the walls - There is no real evidence that the stuff works (unless you can point me to a peer reviewed report). You'll end up with a row of bricks forever signalling that you have had work done.

Much better to fix the root causes and be done with it permanently.

sinkquick

Seanj123 said:

Currently going threw buying our first home and nationwide have requested we obtain a damp and timbers report on the house. The report has came back with a suggestion of around £7000 worth of work needs doing. I’m pretty competent and could more or less do it all myself for around £1000. What happens now with nationwide giving me a valuation and potentially a mortgage offer 

I know it's nearly a year on but how did you get on and what was the outcome? I've just submitted a report with a quotation of £3,5000.
Thanks!

propertyrental

sinkquick said:

Seanj123 said:

Currently going threw buying our first home and nationwide have requested we obtain a damp and timbers report on the house. The report has came back with a suggestion of around £7000 worth of work needs doing. I’m pretty competent and could more or less do it all myself for around £1000. What happens now with nationwide giving me a valuation and potentially a mortgage offer 

I know it's nearly a year on but how did you get on and what was the outcome? I've just submitted a report with a quotation of £3,5000.
Thanks!

OP has not been on the site since Feb 2024. Unlikely to get a response.