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Original poster

About to complete -rising damp

35 replies

Iloverupertp · 07/01/2016 11:53

I'm due to complete in 2 weeks and a damp survey has shown rising damp.ive had a quote to fix it for £2000 +vat.this doesn't include plastering or decoration.
There is also a hole in the roof that may need scaffolding to get to it(cost about £500)
It's an end terrace and I've paid full price.
What would you be asking the sellers to contribute or wouldn't you.bearing in mind I'm having to pay £350 for the range cooker!
I know they're pretty skint as they're downsizing.
Never bought a house before so want to make sure I don't mess up.is rising damp an urgent matter and does it need to be done?the seller did mention it came up in their survey 5 years ago but they didn't do anything about it and according to them it's no worse !?!
Tia

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madwomanacrosstheroad · 07/01/2016 11:58

Did they mention the problem of rising damp before it came up in the survey? We're you aware of it when you made your offer? Same with roof problem. I would try to renegotiate but I suppose it depends haw bad you would feel if the sale fell through.

CheeseBadger · 07/01/2016 12:00

Rising damp pretty much doesn't exist. Damp surveys often "pick up" things like this because they're usually conducted by chemical injection DPC salesmen. Is the hole in the roof sort of above the damp parts of the house? What you have is almost certainly penetrating damp, condensation, or a bridged original DPC. Check for leaking gutters, subfloor ventilation blockages, changes to outside ground level, and get the roof fixed.

Then spend the £2000 on Prosecco.

mupperoon · 07/01/2016 12:02

Who did you get to do the survey? Was it an independent damp specialist surveyor or a damp proofing contractor? We ended up getting an independent in who told us that our "rising damp" as diagnosed by contractors was actually penetrating damp caused by a leaky gutter, plus condensation due to inadequate ventilation...

CheeseBadger · 07/01/2016 12:02

"pick up" = invent / fabricate / dishonestly quote for unnecessary work

madwomanacrosstheroad · 07/01/2016 12:06

Yes I was going to say as well you may as well treat the idea of rising damp with a pinch of salt. I would be weary about just going for a chemical dpc. If there is damp there may well be a reasonable different explanation that could be much cheaper to sort. What are the groundlevels like? However I would still negotiate, ie get them to leave at least the cooker for free.

tilder · 07/01/2016 12:08

Have you exchanged already and are due to complete? If so really don't think there is anything you can do.

If you are 2 weeks from exchange than you can renegotiate. They don't have to accept a reduction in your offer but damp and a hole in the roof are indicator s to me that less money should be offered.

Original poster
Iloverupertp · 07/01/2016 12:09

I only became aware of the problems on my 3rd visit following the offer which had been accepted.you can actually put your hand through to the outside,hence wet loft and cracks on top ceiling.
How can they give me a quote for that much if its not really a problem?who would I get in to sort out the problems you listed?
Im trying to get a 2nd damp survey done but sellers are quite reluctant to allow people in when they're not there.
Thanks

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Original poster
Iloverupertp · 07/01/2016 12:09

Haven't exchanged yet!chasing solicitors!!

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HoggleHoggle · 07/01/2016 12:14

I recently bought a house with rising damp (or not, given some of pp...)

Your quote seems quite high but I suppose it depends on how big an area it is. We had the wall by our front door sorted for £400 and that included re plastering.

Can you telephone your surveyor and ask for their advice? The damp came up on our survey so I rang the guy and said 'on a scale of 1-10, with ten being run away from this house now, where would you score this damp'? He said '2' so I was happy to go ahead and also didn't feel the need to renegotiate given the feedback. But this was a small area - if the house is riddled with it then I'd be much more wary.

I also don't think it's acceptable for your sellers to be fussy about you getting people in to give an opinion on the issue. Don't feel pressured into going along with something you might regret.

Original poster
Iloverupertp · 07/01/2016 12:16

It was an independent specialist recommended by estate agents.theres defo a problem with the gutters and the soil and plants go right up to the bay window

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madwomanacrosstheroad · 07/01/2016 12:17

Get an independant builder, ideally through personal recommendation, someone who knows about older houses. They will be able to advise you further. I would not bother with dampproof specialist unless lender wants further specialist report.

CheeseBadger · 07/01/2016 12:19

You won't need to get someone in to sort it. Just be on the lookout for leaking gutters and defects in the pointing. Check whether the ground level has been raised by comparing to other houses in the terrace. Get the roof fixed ASAP. Be on the lookout for leaking plumbing. The water is coming from somewhere, and it isn't magically climbing up the walls out of the ground as your damp "specialist" wants you to believe.

Any money you spend on a chemical injection DPC is wasted, and will potentially cause you more problems in future.

FWIW, this happened to me. The lender even put a retention on the mortgage until the damp work was completed. Having no intention of vandalising a perfectly sound Victorian house, we found the missing money ourselves and have fixed the "rising damp" by ventilating, fixing the roof and repairing the leaky gutters.

Original poster
Iloverupertp · 07/01/2016 12:26

Thanks for all the advice.ill try not to lose sleep over it!

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madwomanacrosstheroad · 07/01/2016 12:27

Agree with previous poster. However I get the impression you have not really dealt with houses/building issues before that's why you need to find someone to look at it with you and who is not tied to estate agent or company wanting to sell you something.

zombiesarecoming · 07/01/2016 12:29

How old is the house ?

Is it built with modern materials ie cement and plaster or is it an old house with lime mortars and lime plaster

We have damp problems, everywhere the previous owner used modern cement to repoint brickwork and modern gypsum plaster inside instead of getting the correct lime plasters and mortar

Our house should breath so the moisture can escape which lime products do it is only where there are modern products that trap the moisture we have damp issues, slowly working our way around the house removing modern plaster and the damp problems are slowly disappearing

Of course if yours is new enough to use modern materials throughout then this won't be the problem but as previous posters have said there is no such thing as rising damp

CheeseBadger · 07/01/2016 12:31

Also agree with madwoman. If you're not reasonably confident that you know how things should work, a local general builder would be a good bet. I just meant that there isn't a single specific type of person you can get in to fix all the potential issues.

It should cost much less than £2000 to sort a bit of penetrating damp though. You'll be fine.

Original poster
Iloverupertp · 07/01/2016 12:32

It was built in 1910
Yep first time I've bought a house on my own(recently divorced)

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ouryve · 07/01/2016 12:35

Like pps, we've been in the same situation. Got 3 quotes, with only 2 small areas of agreement. Both were leaky downpipes.

specialsubject · 07/01/2016 12:37

you don't ask sellers 'to contribute'. You negotiate price. But you should have done that when the survey came back.

as you haven't exchanged, you can do what you like up to and including pulling out. This will obviously cost you. Talk to your surveyor but it sounds like the hole in the roof (!) is the big issue. What other things have they not maintained?

the cooker is irrelevant - you don't have to pay for it if you don't want it, tell them to take it away if you don't.

Original poster
Iloverupertp · 07/01/2016 12:48

Would it be a ball breaker having a house with damp?most people I speak to seem to have a damp problem so must be v common

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CheeseBadger · 07/01/2016 12:56

Depends on the extent of the damp. If you have the whole house infested with hairy mould and spores everywhere, it'd be demoralising at best. However, we're still living with just some condensation and isolated patches of penetrating damp while we save up for complete repointing in lime mortar and replacement of the crap plastic windows. It's fine, and dehumidifiers aren't that expensive to run.

HoggleHoggle · 07/01/2016 13:00

I think it depends how much you want the house, also. If it's something you love, in the right area etc - then you'll probably be able to tackle the damp with a degree of cheerfulness. If you're already compromising in some way with the house, then personally I wouldn't advise taking on damp issues / building issues as well.

We went ahead with our purchase, knowing there was damp, partly because it was the right house in the right area.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 07/01/2016 13:13

If they can't facilitate access for quotes then make it a condition of exchange.

Damp smells bad and mould can cause health issues so you should definitely sort it out.

£350 for a second hand range cooker? Have you priced one up on ebay?
As a previous owner of one it was a godsend to sell it to the new owners rather than have to pay to have it moved, gas disconnected etc.

orchidnap · 07/01/2016 15:00

Are the estate agents countrywide by any chance, they're notorious for this

Original poster
Iloverupertp · 07/01/2016 16:02

Not countrywide
I find it concerning that I've had a quote for rising damp yet a few of you seem to think it doesn't exist !

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