Page 3 | Buying a house with significant black moulds on walls

peacefulworld · 2024-11-14T13:09:34+00:00

We’ve been looking to buy a bigger home for sometime. We are a family of four living in a small 3-bed end of terrace house. The total sq footage of the current house is 65m2. Here it’s the house we have our eyes on and we are viewing it this weekend. First thing I noticed was the extensive moulds on the walls. Particularly the wall with blue paints upstairs and the green wall in the downstairs living room. Similar properties on the same estate are selling for £500000-£540000. Does anyone have experience purchasing a house with significant damp issue and how much would it cost to rectify the issue roughly? We intend to make a very low offer. The property has been empty for a few years I think. [[https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/154367360 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/154367360]]

Abitlosttoday · 14/11/2024 17:21

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 14/11/2024 13:19

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

That's a good idea. However, I am a landlord and I know that the way people live (or don't live) in a property has a big impact of whether or not there is black mould. I lived in a property with no black mould. My first tenant lived in it for years with none. My second tenant had black mould after one winter. She was barely heating the property and drying lots of clothes indoors. She also had turtles in a tank causing condensation issues. It makes a difference. I would talk to people living in the same type of build in the street to see what their experiences are.

Original poster

peacefulworld · 14/11/2024 17:38

Abitlosttoday · 14/11/2024 17:21

That's a good idea. However, I am a landlord and I know that the way people live (or don't live) in a property has a big impact of whether or not there is black mould. I lived in a property with no black mould. My first tenant lived in it for years with none. My second tenant had black mould after one winter. She was barely heating the property and drying lots of clothes indoors. She also had turtles in a tank causing condensation issues. It makes a difference. I would talk to people living in the same type of build in the street to see what their experiences are.

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You are absolutely right that life style has a huge impact on the condition of the house. We viewed another property on the same estate right around the corner from this one but that house has now been sold (it was listed for £540000 but not sure how much it actually went for. I don’t remember seeing any mould in that house.

Many of the houses on this estate are probate sales. The owners bought them 50ish years ago in their 30s when the houses were new-builds then.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/143473859?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1LHHaC8JrEMJCUSzHJPVwZ8Ap0avORXV37AdASBFsR_UaJRn2lAJLTIxc_aem_RHlxTH-VoJrVBRCrSuihoA#/?channel=RES_BUY)

OP posts:

Original poster

peacefulworld · 14/11/2024 17:44

NancyBellaDonna · 14/11/2024 17:08

I wouldn't touch this house.
The conservatory is poorly constructed and looks like there is a damp issue where is joins the main house. The water from the downpipe runs onto the path.
There's damp/something wrong on the gable wall by the side gate.
There is rainwater splashing up from the paving slabs around the base of the house causing algae and possibly penetrating damp. Next door also seems to have the same problem.
Has a radiator been removed in one of the ground floor rooms? Did it cause a flood? This could have led to excess moisture inside the house which has exacerbated the mould growth when the house had been shut up with no ventilation.
The gutters could be blocked and may be inadequate to cope with runoff for that size of roof. Have a drive-by when it's raining and see if they are running over.
I am curious as to why there is so much damp in the interior walls and wondering if the cavity walls have failed, ties have gone, or cavity wall insulation has been applied badly. Worrying in. property that's not very old.
Lots of things to contemplate and this is a worse case senario. Plus we can't tell much from the photos, so you need an experienced surveyor and a friendly builder who you can trust to do a survey.
The kitchen needs totally replacing. Not sure if your budget is enough if a lot of remedial work is required.
You may have problems with insuring the property.

Living with damp is miserable! It can seriously affect your health as a PP has pointed out. It destroys everything - books, clothes, paperwork, furniture, decoration. It can cause chronic asthma and severe illnesses.

So it's a no from me.

Thank you! I will look out for the areas you mentioned when viewing it. The house on its left has just been marked as sold stc last week. We didn’t manage to book a viewing but it doesn’t look like it’s got damp issue just very dated decorations.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151973156?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2OSkvRN-lExNoE2VdhE15cEb1Q89ARGT3VS846z3qk3I-uM2-ut560vj8_aem_JWZEBv8nNqqhaiyQUe81NA#/?channel=RES_BUY

OP posts:

TonTonMacoute · 14/11/2024 18:09

There are many reasons why the damp could have got so bad, but that don't necessarily mean there's anything terribly wrong with the house.

We have had so much rain this last last year, the house has been shut up and empty for a while, with little or no ventilation.

I certainly wouldn't rule it out if you can get it for a bargain price, but you need to find out what's really going on.

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 14/11/2024 18:16

peacefulworld · 14/11/2024 17:44

Thank you! I will look out for the areas you mentioned when viewing it. The house on its left has just been marked as sold stc last week. We didn’t manage to book a viewing but it doesn’t look like it’s got damp issue just very dated decorations.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151973156?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2OSkvRN-lExNoE2VdhE15cEb1Q89ARGT3VS846z3qk3I-uM2-ut560vj8_aem_JWZEBv8nNqqhaiyQUe81NA#/?channel=RES_BUY

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Interesting to see this one, which looks fine basically, whether or not you like the decor. The conservatory is a much better construction which could be making a difference on its own.

soupfiend · 14/11/2024 18:18

I woujldnt discount it immediately if you like the house and the area

You need to know whether its guttering or roof, is it that the wrong insulation has been put in (NEVER get cavity wall insulation in my view), is it something systemic in the build of the house etc etc

Once you know this, you'll know whether the remedy is within your reach. What about neighbours, do they have similar problems, knock on doors on either side and ask

I notice that one of the worst pictures has had a piece of furniture up against the wall in the corner against an outside wall, that wont have helped at all

In terms of conservatorys on north facing houses, we have one, love it, use it all year round. We have an oil filled radiator out there, its warm in there within 15 mins in the winter.

soupfiend · 14/11/2024 18:22

Abitlosttoday · 14/11/2024 17:21

That's a good idea. However, I am a landlord and I know that the way people live (or don't live) in a property has a big impact of whether or not there is black mould. I lived in a property with no black mould. My first tenant lived in it for years with none. My second tenant had black mould after one winter. She was barely heating the property and drying lots of clothes indoors. She also had turtles in a tank causing condensation issues. It makes a difference. I would talk to people living in the same type of build in the street to see what their experiences are.

Show quote history

No one is allowed to mention lifestyle issues now about black mould, you'll get accusations of victim blaming. But the reality is, the way you run a house and maintain a home affects whether you get condensation and later mould. My partner works in housing for a local government and sees many an awful site but no one is allowed to say to tenants they need to do something different, they just get moved.

Mamette · 14/11/2024 18:30

stargazerlil · 14/11/2024 13:40

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.

Then found out about environments and got those what does this mean please @stargazerlil

I’m interested in your comment as you seem to have found a good solution, but what are “environments” - or is that an autocorrect?

stargazerlil · 15/11/2024 09:56

Mamette · 14/11/2024 18:30

Then found out about environments and got those what does this mean please @stargazerlil

I’m interested in your comment as you seem to have found a good solution, but what are “environments” - or is that an autocorrect?

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Yeah was auto correct. They are envirovents it’s a company called envirovents they have various types , the ones I got go in the walls and they constantly suck the moisture out of the building, after I had them put in I had no more mould at all. They were ace.

MontyPythonSnake · 15/11/2024 09:59

That's what you get a survey for. Then get a damp specialist out to investigate and give you a quote for the work. Then ask for the offer to be reduced to cover the costs of the work that needs doing.