Buying a house with extensive mould?

[QueenOfCatan]

We have found a home that we like and I'd like some advice on whether it is viable really. It's a doer-upper and is priced accordingly. We have somebody who can install a new kitchen and bathroom so those costs are not going to be huge.

However, the people living in it haven't been looking after it, are possibly overcrowding it and are hoarders, the entire upstairs has mould across all of the ceilings and we suspect behind the piles of stuff. Given that similar type properties haven't got these issues we're certain it's caused by condensation, they dry clothes upstairs, have an ironing board and steam iron in the upstairs hall and the extractor fan in the only bathroom (with no window) is broken, so lots of moisture in the air. We would be looking at getting professionals to deal with it if we buy it, but I want to know if it could have caused more serious underlying damage?

Also the house has a timber frame, as do the rest in the estate (all built late 70's) but could it have damaged that too?

can you get a mortgage on a timber frame?

I'd be very careful buying from these disgusting people. If it has been like that for a while it is also probably full of bodges. You can't see the damage until they have gone, there is probably a pest infestation too and the filth may go right through.

it had better be very cheap!

You can get a mortgage on them, we have an AIP from a company that deals with timber structure mortgages. Given that we'll be ripping everything out I don't think we should have too many issues with bodges unless there were structural things going on? It's not that old a property so I can't imagine anything drastic could have happened in that time unless it was to do with the condensation.

because our house had been empty for quite a while there was mould in places it was just because the house had been empty and not ventilated, and though not major the house stank for quite a while even after we had ripped the affected wallpaper away and scrubbed every where that was scrubbable but if its extensive mould all the way through I would get quotes for specialist company to come in and clean with specialist equipment and cleaning products it sounds like it would be a lot for an ordinary person,

I think this is so critical you should get an expert in before you risk incurring any other costs. Sounds like it would be impossibly to tell without fully probing behind the stuff.

I wouldn't touch it. Some houses are damp and mouldy and there is almost nothing you can do to stop it coming back again and again. It's a forever problem, even if you clean it off

Our house had quite a lot of mould and peeling wallpaper (with mould underneath). It was disgusting and hard work removing the wallpaper, but once gone and everything replastered it didn’t come back. Well, we may get a tiny bit around a window in the depths of winter, but I’d say that is fairly normal.

I wouldn't.

Our house had extensive mould/damp downstairs for the same reasons.

We did everything sensible to get rid of it. Now there's no visible mould but a smell has remained which gets worse when it rains. It drives me mad and is a big reason why we are moving very soon. 5 years of it was more than enough.

Should add the smell has got into our clothes and the sofa etc. Can't describe how much I hate it

Thank you for the responses, definitely given me more to think about!

Have you paid to have a full survey ?