Damp and timber search

[jaynebxl]

We are selling our house and I've just had a call from a company who have been asked to do a damp and timber search on our house for our prospective buyers. I've never heard of this before and wondered if anyone else had. Our house is over a 100 years old but we've never had any noticeable trouble with damp. Is it likely to be quite run of the mill?

We had one done on the (old) house we are buying because the surveyor noted woodworm and damp in the cellar. I think the search itself is run-of-the-mill but be prepared that your buyers might ask to renegotiate the price based on what treatment is needed. Actually, our damp search recommended treatment for woodworm but said that damp was to be expected in old houses so, apart from monitoring a few rotten timbers, we're not having damp work done, at least not in the short term. We did renegotiate the price but that was for external work, not the damp.

Ah thanks for that. Do you think the owners were already aware of the woodworm and damp? We are not aware of anything and don't have a cellar.

Also the lady on the phone said it was non-intrusive but on their website I saw photos of the guy lifting carpets and stuff - any experience of this?

Rather likea housesurvey you can have different levels of timber/ damp survey. The basic is a wonder around looking for evidence of active infestation and with a damp meter that they check damp levels in different areas of the house. Various rots and infestations preffer damp wood, itssofter.

They will make recomendations based on findings.

I've had basic surveys done and an invasive one done inthis house which had extensive rot and infestation - it was obvious though.

Thanks for that. Hopefully we will be ok then.

Arrrgggh. I had to have a damp survey AND THEN a builder's quote to deal with it at the behest of my bank for the house I'm currently buying (about 220 years old). It slowed down the purchase by at least 6 weeks. And the house I sold back in the summer, the purchaser also had one done. Apparently that house where I lived quite happily was riddled with damp -- it's a wonder I'm not dying of lung disease, and riddled with woodworms.

My bank was super cautious, to the point that I threatened I'd take my business elsewhere. But apparently this is the way it is.

The other house I'm just finishing refurbishing (120 years old) has had damp but nothing major, and the architect's been onto that in pretty basic ways such as improved drainage and also upgrading the CH. Old houses get damp, largely because of the technology available at the time of building. My big old house has stone walls, and the cavity between outer & inner walls is filled with rubble, which collects the moisture.

Old houses get damp, but banks & surveyors don't seem to understand this. And because some high-rollers played with our money as if it were Monopoly money, WE have to suffer. Drives me crazy.