Mould and damp in kitchen cabinets

[Littlesunshine123]

Just after some advice before writing to estate agents.

We originally where rushed around the property but on first inspection liked it.
The property was on the market for 100k but we ended up having to go to 107k due to bidding war.
100k is the right price for 2 bed terrace in this area/Street.

Its at least 100 years old so we where expecting some damp etc.

However we have just been to inspect the property today and do a deep inspection but applying for a mortgage and we noticed the kitchen cabinets are full of mould and the walls that the kitchen cabinets are on. It is a party wall as it is a terrace house.

They have hidden boxes etc infront of the mould to try conceal it. However it is extremely bad and also bugs. The boxes are sopping wet as well which they have used to try conceal the mould.

I imagine it will need a whole new kitchen as most of the cabinets are just full of mould. Am not talking a few little patches I mean widespread mould and damp.

We originally thought we would be able to just paint the cabinets or replace the doors in the future as they are a bit chipped.

Also the upstairs windows don't open either or don't open properly. They have keys in them so its not that they are locked.

We are worried that the house may not even be mortgage now as some guides say that a house isn't mortgage if there is mould and with it being in the kitchen its obviously worse.

The estate agent told is to put it all in an email and they will speak to a vendor.

We are going to get a level 3 inspection.

The seller has asked us to go with the estate agent mortgage broker which has given us the edge of other bids however they want a non refundable £99 fee now which obviously don't want to be out pocket with those fees and also cost of a level 3 survey for us to then pull out.

I am thinking of asking them to either fix the issues or take money off the asking price for us to fix it. Do you think that this is the best idea ?

Personally I would not buy a house with those issues. I realise it is priced at £100k but you said that was typical for this type of house in this area, so you are not getting a bargain because it is damp and mouldy and needs new windows. How much will all of that cost you? Plus the stuff you haven't spotted yet. You can try for a discount but if they've had lots of interest you might be unlucky.

I assume the house is being lived in and isn't empty? Is the damp in the top and bottom cupboards?

The reason I ask is because empty properties can have damp and mould just because noone has had the heating on and the property hasnt been aired for a long time.

Thanks for your replies.

The house is empty so I imagine that's why there is mould and damp. My issue is more that the cabinets are full of mould and are starting to rot. The damp seems to be mid to top wall so not raising damp. The walls feel cold and slightly damp.

I suppose we won't more until a surveyor checks. Its a worry that they have tried to hide the mould so what else may they trying to hide. Also the fact that numerous windows don't open.

Meant to say won't know more about the level of damp until we have a survey done. Some of bottom cabinets have mould but nothing like the top ones.

We are worried to fork out for a survey when the vendor may just turn around and say they are now going with the other interested party. Therefore we would lose the house and be out of pocket.

We plan to most likely move again in 5 years time as its only 2 bed and we have one child but would like another. Therefore we have to be careful money wise what we spend on the house as we could easily end up massively out of pocket.

If the damp is towards the tops of the walls and the house is unoccupied then it could just be condensation related, so much easier to resolve than rising damp or a pipe leak. I.e heating and ventilation and possibly loft insulation.

Was the house a rental property? Again if there are people who only live in a building for a short time, they are less likely to notice maintainence issues like condensation until they get quite bad which might be why it is so bad.

Could you price up a new kitchen and ask for half the price off the house?

A level 3 survey probably isn't worth doing unless there are large/lots of cracks and signs of structural movement.

You would be better getting an independent damp survey. Not from a company who sells damp proof injection as they dont understand old buildings and damp. You could try local Facebook for a recommendation.

You said the damp wall is the wall between you and next door? What is on the wall in the room above the dodgy wall?

Also is next door owned or rented and does it look well maintained?

You need to revise your price to take account of the cost of a new kitchen.
Most likely the windows can be repaired, but still, it’s more money.
You say you are already paying 7% over the odds. Add on a new kitchen and window repairs, you’ll be paying <>20% than its value.
I agree with @electriclight , withdraw your offer. Do not feel bad about it. Feel relieved you are not making a mistake.

We had a bit of mould at the back of the kitchen cupboards that were on the external wall when we moved into our house last year. Granted they weren’t soaking wet, but it was definitely evident they weren’t ventilating the kitchen properly. We cleaned it off and opened the windows, and it never came back. We also have a dehumidifier running a lot of the time to help with condensation in the bay windows. That kitchen was ancient and we’ve since ripped it all out. The kitchen radiator also had about a hundred layers of paint on and didn’t heat up properly, so I don’t think the kitchen was ever getting warm enough either.

Condensation mould can be controlled, it wouldn’t put me off buying a house if it was the right one.

It could be something happening on the other side of the party wall. I had this in a property. A patch of mold on a party wall. Turns out next door are redirecting the water from my roof into a water butt which is overflowing and saturating the surrounding area.

It could also be something like leaking gutters, downpipes etc.

Tbh I would withdraw

So its an end terrace house and the mould and damp is on the party wall. I believe the property we are buying was rented out but is now empty. The property next door seems in a decent condition and is owned not rented. The room above the kitchen is the bathroom.

We have asked the vendor to either fix the issues or reduce the price to reflect the problems so we can fix them.

Even if its as simple as condensation it still needs a new kitchen as they have left it rot with mould.

If it’s the bathroom above then a leak could be the reason. I definitely wouldn’t be paying over the value either ask for a reduction based on the work needed or pull out.

I’d be quite cautious about this one, especially if it’s only a five year house and not a forever home. What’s the condition of the rest of the house? It could be an absolute money pit.

I can’t see the vendor going from 107 down to 90k