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Original poster

Viewed a house is this a huge red flag.

51 replies

PinkGlitterUnicorns · 02/05/2018 11:11

In our preferred location there are currently only 2 houses on the market that meet our criteria and fit in our budget.

One is a new build nice house but semi detached smallish rooms and small garden.

Other is a detached house nice house bigger than new build with a decent size garden and good room sizes with a tiny bit of cosmetic decorating needed. Price is the same as new build. We both had our hearts set on this house before even viewing the house.

I went to view the house yesterday without DH as he was working. The house was lovely, perfect for us BUT the house smelt. I can’t put my finger on what it smelt of but it had quite a strong smell.

DH said when he returned that I also smelt, I didn’t notice this but noticed this morning my coat now smells of the viewed house. Actually not smells more like absolutely stinks.

What is the smell? And why does my clothes smell of the house? Is this a huge red flag? It’s so frustrating as I can’t put my finger on what it is.

OP posts:

mai5x · 02/05/2018 11:11

Damp?

Graphista · 02/05/2018 11:12

Ask the locals. Someone will know. Depending on what it is could indicate any number of issues including structural ones.

snewname · 02/05/2018 11:17

Google it?
And/or
Can you ask a surveyer for his opinion? Might be worth a few hundred as it would be a shame to lose a great house for a minor problem.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 02/05/2018 11:18

Totally depends on what smell is- get people to sniff you to try to pin it down!

Damp, cat pee - avoid like the plague
Cooking smells- can linger but will eventually go with cleaning and airing.
Weed - should be ok and might hake initial days in new house "happy" !!

Fatbergs · 02/05/2018 11:18

You must be able to describe it... ?
Did the house smell when you went in?

Original poster

PinkGlitterUnicorns · 02/05/2018 11:24

Yes it smelt immediately as I walked in but after the initial whiff didn’t notice it.

If I had to pin it down I would say it’s a musty smell. A bit like if you were to leave your clothes in the machine for too long after a wash then they dry smelling funny.

OP posts:

Emmageddon · 02/05/2018 11:25

I wouldn't necessarily be put off by a smelly house as long as a surveyor was able to confirm there were no structural issues. Maybe the owners have poor personal hygiene/smoke heavily/don't do housework. Maybe they burn scented candles that have a lovely perfume when burning but smell like wet dog with flatulence afterwards. Maybe there's a decomposing bird in the chimney or a dead rat under the floorboards.

Could you identify where in the house the smell was coming from?

newbowls · 02/05/2018 11:25

Is it actually a bad smell? You'd know damp, surely? Weed? Something decaying?

newbowls · 02/05/2018 11:27

Is the house furnished and lived in?

Graphista · 02/05/2018 11:28

That does sound like damp then which would indicate a possible structural/maintenance issue.

SoupDragon · 02/05/2018 11:29

I would say it’s damp. Which isn’t necessarily a huge red flag as it would show up on the survey.

I also wondered if the house was occupied at the moment.

Dumbledoresgirl · 02/05/2018 11:31

It sounds like damp to me. Our house is old and riddled with damp problems. I didn't notice when we viewed the house, but once we were living in it, it was most noticeable when you went into the house after some days away. When you are living in the house continuously, depending on the extent of the damp of course, you tend to stop noticing the smell. It is fixable, but it is costly.

To be honest, what would put me off more is the big garden. We have a whopper and it is is a constant battle keeping the weeds down, maintaining plants, boundaries etc.

joystir59 · 02/05/2018 11:33

Get a good survey not just a mortgage valuation one, and tell your surveyor about the smell of damp. Could it be wet/dry rot? Do they smell?

Mymycherrypie · 02/05/2018 11:37

Damp doesn’t always show up on a survey. We had condensation mould in one of our flats. If you washed it away/painted over it it would take another 5 months to grow back so for those few months, if a surveyor came it would not be noticeable. This type of damp is not in the walls as such, it’s ON the walls.

Madbengalmum · 02/05/2018 11:37

A house smelling of damp isn't necessarily a red flag. If it has been vacant and not aired for a while a smell of damp is likely. Especially not heated. There are lots of reasons for a musty smell, hygeine, ventilation etc are probable causes and easily resolved. Damp smell isn't always a problem.

WowIFreelStrange · 02/05/2018 11:40

that's definitely damp. a wet musty smell is definitely damp. doesn't sound like its weed, you'd know if it was that. although that wouldn't be a problem surely

Olympiathequeen · 02/05/2018 11:43

Oh damp!

Get a full surgery which will turn up drains, or underground springs etc. A local surveyed who knows the area.

One local surveyor knew that the local house wall used a very dodgy foundation material which was less stable. Explained why the house seemed to have a lean!

Viviennemary · 02/05/2018 11:47

If it's damp then it's a big problem. If it's a musty smell it could be from old carpets or upholstery and that can be fixed. I knew somebody who got a house dirt cheap years ago that had been smelling of cats and belonged to an old lady. It was fixable. So if it's nothing serious you could get a bargain. So don't write it off till you find out why.

BarbaraofSevillle · 02/05/2018 11:47

You can get a damp survey for a couple of hundred pounds or so.

It could be that the new build is overpriced, which they tend to be and that could be skewing your thoughts? It might not be the detached that is suspiciously cheap, more that the new build is too expensive.

Maybe visit the detached house again for another viewing and see if you think the smell is still there and is the house or the area? If you still like it, put an offer in and if accepted, have a full strucural survey and damp survey and either walk away or negotiate further if something negative comes up?

StaplesCorner · 02/05/2018 11:48

Is the house occupied at the moment OP?

saucepot8 · 02/05/2018 12:18

Could be a cat brought in a dead mouse and the owners haven't found it.

EdgeOf17 · 02/05/2018 12:21

If it is unoccupied it probably just needs all the windows throwing open in the sunshine and a good clean. It may also be damp but any of concern will show up on your survey (as pp said - get a good survey).

It wouldnt put me off making the enquiries, it sounds lovely

Hatewaybuloo · 02/05/2018 12:21

Damp smell might just be from the owners not drying clothes and airing the house properly- I have friends who have lived in maybe 4 or 5 different properties since I’ve known them- every house has the exact same damp smell!

Wellthisunexpected · 02/05/2018 12:30

The extent of the issue depends on what type of damp. Our house smelt 'fusty' it was penetrating damp, repointing the front and removal of the carpets (which were holding the smell), a wash of the wall and it was fixed. (total cost for us about £1000, obviously depending on your flooring choices)

Rising damp, is a bigger problem - you need new damp proof course, to remove all plaster from the floor to around one meter, leave it to dry then replaster, and sometimes you need to replace joists and other timbers. And is more expensive to fix, but not insurmountable.

Condensation type damp is usually a lifestyle issue (or having sealed up an old property with new windows and doors and not got any air flow) and easily fixed.

Personally neither would be a no-no for us, if the price was right, but we like project houses and would never consider a new build.

Get a good survey and a specialist damp survey - one you pay for, not one from a company that fixes damp problems!

penguinsandpanda · 02/05/2018 12:36

Damp I would guess but ask the estate agents, they might tell you. If you go ahead get a full survey. We had damp, it was £2k to correct but get someone into quote.

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