damp and timber report?!

[flamingofridays]

hi everyone,

we are currently selling our house, survey came back ok but the buyers mortgage lender has put a 2 grand retention on the mortgage until they get a damp and timber survey done.

They are going to do this.

I am a bit worried about what this might uncover, however there is not even a tiny bit of damp in our house, no wet walls, no visible mould. Is it possible it could still be damp?

With regards to timber, obviously floorboards etc but will they start ripping up the carpets etc? I really don't want them to do this. We have 1 squeaky floorboard in the whole house and that's about 100 years newer than the rest of them as it was replaced when the prev owners put a new bath in.

The only visible timber would be below the kitchen floor in the cellar, and 2 beams in the attic room. Could this be the cause of the concern?

is it possible they haven't actually seen any problems as such and are doing this because its an old house? (built 1899)

Any advise will be much appreciated as i'm terrified the buyers will find horrendous problems, pull out, we will lose our new house and be stuck in a damp woodworm filled house forever more!

I would get the drain pipe fixed. Old properties always show ‘damp’ on those meters that they use. Solid brick walls were designed to breathe- they do let moisture in but then it dries out again naturally. You only get real problems when there is lack of ventilation or modern plastic based paints trapping in moisture etc etc

This a million times. I was quoted £3.5 k for damp proofing the whole of my downstairs, even though there only three damp patches. Paid for a proper indie damp person who diagnoed condensation - as scabby says, a lot of the time caused by modern materials used on lime plaster etc. I think all you need to do is sort the drain pipe.

Damp proofing your wall will (I think) involve using cement which will trap damp in as the wall won't be able to breathe as it should. Though I guess that won't be your problem but the new owners!

Yes get a second opinion! Our buyers did the same and we were sure there was nothing there. They insisted it was an independent- it was not. We paid £150 for an actual independent and it came back clear. Buyers refused to believe us did a THIRD Damp/Timber Survey which also came back clear CF must have just wanted money off the house as they then insisted on an electrical survey which was carried out by her BROTHER (found this out when he arrived) we told the CF to F**k Off.

thanks everyone, I have booked someone independent to come and have a look at it tomorrow. The issue is these bloody meters. I bet all walls have some moisture in them, what happened to if it aint broke don't fix it!

Can you share the surveyor's contact email or number? WE need a report to be done. Thanks!