What kind of damp?

[Beach1983]

Going to view a property (one in need of work but great potential) but in one photo there is a lot of mould (see photo) anyone know if this indicates a serious issue (rising damp?) or is it just that it’s been empty a while so no air flow? My feeling is that mould starting at the bottom of the wall may be more of an issue then if it’s on the ceiling for example but I literally have nothing to base that on! Maybe @pigletjohn can give me some works of wisdom?

looks to me like it's coming from the floor. spread all along the wall, not localised so probably not coming from a gutter. the patio doors suggest it is not a basement

you need to have a look at the outside and photograph all drains, pipes and manholes

how old is the house

is that room an extension and was it built with building regs approval

one possible cause is a concrete floor with a leaking pipe in it.

might have been a roof leak or bathroom leak above, esp if the house has been empty

the carpet needs to come up.

Thankyou! It’s a bungalow so nothing above it , so I guess roof or leak in the floor. It is an extension so I guess it could be related to that if not built correctly etc!

Any condensation will pool in the coldest part of the room, so external walls and low down as heat rises.

If it’s not been heated or ventilated then this can be the cause without leaking pipes or guttering etc.

Thank you @CiderJolly hopefully that rather than anything more serious!

When you view take note of how high the ground is on the outside of those external wall as this would hold damp against the wall if that makes sense. Some people pile soil up against houses when they’ve had work done not realising the damp issues it causes.

Take photos and let us know how you get on. 😊

It could be a leaking water supply pipe. They tend to take the most direct route from the external stop tap (located in the pavement, road or driveway usually) to the kitchen sink.