damp? HELP-just about to complete on this property!

[housearrest]

Hello all, hope you're all well.
I'd be grateful for any advice you have on the following: we're in the process of buying the house we've been renting for a year (nightmare! many problems and so much stress!). To top it all this weekend we've noticed a patch of paint on the hallway wall which is all bubbly and crinkly-on a part of the wall which could be adjoining the shower room upstairs-and we're wondering if its possible damp?

Excuse my ignorance?but who do I go to to get this checked. I'd rather get this checked myself than refer back immediately to the vendors who will send someone in and-possible-bamboozle me with science!

I'd be grateful if anyone has any advice
xx

if you haven't had a survey done on the house that's the obvious way to find out if its serious. Never had a survey yet which didn't show up problems - from a roof that hadn't been built strongly enough to a rusty water tank.

deffo worth getting a surveyor to check out the problem, as if you dont there could be a another underlying problem the connected with the wall damp.

once survey is done, if there only just damp on the wall, you can ask for a reduction on the house price or get the landlord to fix it before ou buy it. (it could just be coming from the shower as it may needed re-sealant again around the tiles)

hello, thanks for your replies.
We had a valuation survey done for the mortgage-obviously that's not the full survey?
Who could check it for me and let me know if it is damp?
Sorry to be useless!

There are companies that specialise in damp who will give you a free survey and estimate for the work.

Maybe try find a builder to locate someone in your area. This is the Federation of Master Builders website BTW.

Alternatively - you could get a full structural survey done, see RICS to find a local surveyor.

I bought a house with mega damp problems and had the quote for the work done before buying - it all turned out fine. Good luck

Check out the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors website which will give you a quick description of the various forms of survey. Basically there are three:

1. Mortgage valuation - which is solely for the benefit of the lender to assure them the house is worth the money being lent against it

2. Homebuyer's report - which gives you an overview of the state of repair and any outstanding issues that might require you to spend money in the next few years

3. Full structural survey - a detailed investigation into serious issues that will probably include recommendations about possible remedial work that might need doing

Sounds like you need no 2 and a good place to find a firm to do it for you is the RICS firm finder . Just find a list of local firms and ring them to find out if they do residential surveys/homebuyer's reports - some will, some won't.

You'll probably end up paying up £500, but it may be well worth it for the negotiating power you can get over the seller.

Good luck!

Thank you all very much.
I'm not usually such a limp biscuit-I think it was one more problem in such a long line of them that my brain shut down!
Thanks again, I'll go away and get this sorted now.

'damp' is nearly always something simple involving water getting where it shouldn't - ie a leaky pipe.

You need to get a Damp and Timber Specialist to do a report and quotation for you. They usually do this for a charge and then reimburse the cost if you get the work done by them.

Damp was found in our structural survey, mortgage company requested specialist report. We then negotiated with the vendors and they had the work done before we moved in.