Should we be concerned about this? (homebuyers report)

[paddingtonbear1]

Just got the report on the property we're buying. It was originally built in 1960 but was extensively remodelled/extended in 2001.
There are a few 3's, most of which we can live with - they could say the same about the property we currently live in! Not sure about this bit though:

"The ground floor is of suspended timber and solid construction. The first floor is
formed in timber. Where visible, floors have a mixture of timber, laminate, carpeted
and tiled finishes. Floor coverings restricted close examination of the floor
surfaces.
High damp meter readings were recorded in the floor timbers beneath the
staircase. This is serious and could lead to further damp and possible timber
decay. "

Should we get someone else in to check it?
The report also mentions failed double glazing units in the conservatory, but I assume we could leave that for now. We're borrowing pretty much to the max to buy this house, so were hoping we could just move in and not have to do much for the first few years!

[MidnightDexy]

I think i would be on alert about that, because like most surveyor's reports it has noted that he (or she) was unable to take other damp meter readings because of floor coverings. If they had said they managed to do almost the whole house and it was only that one spot that was problematic i would not necessarily be concerned. So its more that on the one bit he did manage to do, they found damp, if you see what i mean. Definitely worth getting someone else in to check. I believe houses built after 1930 were all built with damp proof courses so in an ideal world you shouldn't be getting damp in a 1960s house.

Is the house generally in good condition or poor condition? In a funny way i'd almost be more scared if it was (otherwise) in good condition because it would make me paranoid that the otherwise diligent and careful owners had been unable to tackle the root of the issue (whether due to cost or otherwise), whereas if the house was just generally in awful condition i would attribute the damp to neglect and poor housekeeping rather than structural issues, again if you see what i mean!

[Stevie77]

Our house was built 1949 and there's no damp proof course, so not sure where this info is from.

OP, I'd get a damp survey done. They're not very expensive and if anything it'll put your mind at rest. If not, it'll find out what the issue is.

[MidnightDexy]

i admit i read that somewhere (although recently, and it seemed an authoritative source).

[Cel982]

Damp is generally treatable, as far as I know, but will probably require some money to be spent. Definitely get a survey so you know what you're dealing with.

[snowypenguin]

Yo definitely need a specialist out. It could run to thousands to fix. It probably won't as I'd expect to see a retention of the surveyor thought it was really bad.

[LaFlottes]

I think (and this is just from reading bits and pieces, not personal experience) that you should get out an independent damp surveyor to take a look.

Beware of companies who do the work to fix damp problems offering "free" surveys, as it's in their interest to find a problem!!

If it was me I would look into this as it could be a cheap fix or it could be expensive. If it's going to be expensive then you may want to re-negotiate the price with the seller to cover this.

[paddingtonbear1]

Thanks all - will look for an independent damp surveyor. The house is generally in good condition, so hopefully it won't be anything serious!

[bojorojo]

My first thought is that it is a leaking pipe that is under the floor. Or a drain, not draining, outside. Or water coming in from above the dpc. A leaking down pipe? Do get more advice from a fully qualified surveyor. They should get to the cause of it.

[Pitapotamus]

Have you spoken to the guy who did the survey? They will usually talk to you over the phone and explain what they think you should do which is always more helpful than their written reports which tend to be quite heavily caveated.

[paddingtonbear1]

Dh spoke to him today. He said he was surprised to get the high readings there, but didn't think it was likely to be anything serious. He seemed more concerned that we had the permissions for the extensions checked (the house was originally built in 1960 but has been significantly altered/extended). The garage apparently should be called a 'garage style outhouse' as it's accessed from a separate driveway on a side road where there is no dropped kerb (I never noticed this)!