Buying a house with significant black moulds on walls

This!

Please don't buy it.

We've just three months ago moved out of a place with less mould than that and the consequences were awful. We worked hard to keep on top of it but it was a landlord issue and he wouldn't sort the root cause.

The mould spores have got into all our furniture and possessions and we've lost 4 skips worth of stuff that was much-wanted and had the expense of replacing it. I'm currently sanding down an antique piece of furniture that had mould all over it from being in that place. I'm going to paint it with bathroom paint (with mould killer) as a last resort to try and save it. We had to throw out DS's bed. We had to bin treasured books, possessions, postcards from around the world. There's only so much you can clean off. We're still getting mould blooms now, 3 months away from the place.

On a human front, (non-asthmatic) DS had to have an ambulance out 3 times this year due to unexplained breathing issues that suddenly made sense when we discovered a new mould bloom had exploded on the wall below his bed and gotten into that side of the bed/mattress.

We got out of there as soon as we could.

These are the sorts of problems you will have even after you get rid of the damp and long after you get rid of the mould from the actual building. It's in the air. It takes bloody ages to get it fully gone and once it's bedded in, it will keep coming back with the slightest moisture in the air.

I'm sorry OP but I would not consider this house.

I would suspect it is largely due to the house being unheated and poorly ventilated for a long period of time especially if it is everywhere - not likely to be linked to a roof issue or blocked drain. Just make sure you get a decent survey to check.

I wouldn’t in a million years. We did the same, spent £50k trying to fix it, didn’t, couldn’t afford any more, had to sell it at a loss, ended up £90k poorer. And ours was nowhere near that bad. A developer bought our house in the end and had to strip all the walls back to brick, pull up the floors and damp proof the cavities, replace the floors, rerender the entire house and redo all the insulation.

If it were me, I'd walk away and keep looking.
The house that my mum moved into when I was 2 years old had black mould - she spent years trying all sorts to treat it, then last year (44 years later), she got yet more experts in and they also discovered damp and black mould in other areas of her house, where she hadn't seen any (it was under the wallpaper right behind where she sits and she has COPD) - they knocked off all of the plaster and put a new damp course in but she said that recently she's seen it creeping back.

My mum might just be unlucky with her house, but her walls looked a lot better than the ones in that house. It's the mould spores that would worry me even more than the mould you can see.

Like PPs have said though, if the amount you're saving, is an amount that you can afford to pay out to have it remedied, after a full and thorough survey, then maybe consider it, but for now, keep looking at other properties too.

Personally I think that could be sorted. But I’d definitely get a specialist survey and give myself a chunky budget to do it, including asking for a reduction in price.

Has the house been stood for ages with no one in/ no heating on? It looks to me as if it was something relatively simple but which has been left for too long to get worse and worse. But definitely get a view from an expert.

Wouldn’t touch it without a damp survey from someone reputable.

It’s not limited to the corner where the downspout is but seems spread across the gable end wall, I’ve be concerned about issues with that wall. If it is that then your £50k could be swallowed up very quickly!

It could be the guttering has been leaking for a long time if it's all external walls. But I wouldn't buy, simply because I have lived in a house with damp and mold and not doing it again.

Ok so if the back of the house and CONSERVATORY faces NORTH EAST you will not enjoy sitting in it as it will be chilly apart from early morning cups of coffee

Why would someone put a huge conservatory facing North East with a glass or plastic roof?

UNLESS it has some light from the south or south west or south East

Direct SOUTH is too hot for a conservatory

so and EAST WEST HOUSE with the garden on the west side is my favourite

Our old house was North south with garden south - which was great but the north facing rooms were so cold and dark

If you have damp in those rooms then need lots of investigation

Although I bet a developer would just paint over those walls so you don't know what is under the paint so at least you know what is there

I discovered black mould grew in a flat I bought, suffered through two winters with it coming back even in the wardrobe , was a nightmare. Then found out about environments and got those and they sorted it completely. They are much better than vents in walls as you do not get cold in winter. They normally used for kitchen but I had them put in spare rm and bedroom as there was no insulation so vents made the rooms really cold. They were expensive but worth it. But it’s hard to say if that mild is down to condensation, I would get a structural surveyor to look at it. Then put in a really low offer.

Condensation is due to rooms being too cold and poorly ventilated.

I dont think your being unreasonable as such, but perhaps overly optimistic? My friend is stuck with a house with damp that he can’t get sold. He had a survey which said it was not serious and could be easily fixed. Fast forward two years later and it’s riddled with damp everywhere, in the walls, under the floors. Every time he tries to have it fixed they uncover more damage. It never dries out. He’s looking at a large bill to get it fixed (again) that he can’t afford and living in a damp and cold home that is unsellable. I’d be extremely cautious with this, you could end up losing a lot of money and terrible living conditions in the long run. It’s a risk that I wouldn’t be willing to take myself.

I wouldn’t touch it

No way

I would be concerned as the mould is upstairs and downstairs. When we bought our house the damp problem was disguised. We moved in November and soon found it was all upstairs. We have overcome it by fitting a piv system upstairs, getting the rooms replastered, and ensuring every room has a radiator in and it has completely gone now. I would say though that was after we had bought and I was fuming. We had a surveyor come out and assess where the damp was coming from and it was mainly condensation. I'd think very carefully about buying a place with an obvious damp problem.

We bought a house with mould problems but then completely gutted it, including a new roof.
We installed new windows with air vents and a mechanical ventilation system, insulation, etc. There has been no more mould and damp since.

Don't be ripped off by companies trying to sell you quick fix rising damp treatments which may not be necessary. Check that the outside drains aren't damaged and there isn't water coming in from outside.

Basically go for it if the house is right but be prepared to spend some money.

The vast majority of damp issues are easily fixed. Fix leaks, run a dehumidifier, install bathroom and kitchen fans, and only in extremis renew damp proof course.

If in doubt an independent damp survey will cost about £400..

What is worrying is that the mould is popping up in lots of different places. I’d want to know if it has had retrofitted insulation at some point (done badly if so). Is it a cavity wall? Agree you need to get a proper survey done. I don’t think 50k will go far on this house.. also will you be able to live elsewhere while renovating?

It also looks as if the carpets have experienced some damp problems. So you'd need to factor in replacing them or getting floorboards done. I wonder how bad it smells on entry...

I'm really surprised they've put it on the market in that condition, without even giving the walls a washdown with vinegar to minimise the visual look of mould. You really need to get a damp specialist in to give you a quote on fixing the problem, or if it is fixable at all.

It looks like the room is damp all down the gable wall, not just near the drain pipe.

I wouldn't touch it personally unless you have personal contacts with a decent builder who will tell you just how hard and expensive it really will be to fix.

I wouldn't consider buying it without a specialist damp survey. By a chartered surveyor, NOT a company that just sells "solutions".