Would you buy a property with damp?

[Rookie23]

FTB here and will appreciate some advice please.
I am looking to buy a 2 bed property in billesley Birmingham. It’s a 1910 house.

I offered 175k on the property at a time where I was homeless, had just moved to Birmingham and was overly stressed out. My priority at the time was to just find somewhere permanent to live as opposed to being in airbnbs as finding a place to rent was pretty much impossible.

My survey came back with a number of issues: high damp readings, condensation, bridged damp course, mould in the bathroom ceiling with the ceiling coming off, a live wasp nest above the kitchen roof, non fire compliant ceilings all around the house, foam spray insulation on the main roof, cracked rendering, blocked guttering.

Honest to God I did not understand the bulk of the survey. I was really one of those first time buyers with not a clue on property and noone to get advice from.
I initially only asked for a reduction in the asking price to cover the cost of replacing the roof which I was quoted £4600. The seller agreed to it.
At the same time the estate agent was also putting me under a lot of pressure trying to make me feel guilty for asking for a reduction insinuating I shouldn’t be asking for anything as the price was already low.

I have been reading a lot about damp and I am now entirely freaked out to continue in the transaction. I’ve read all manner of things and how costly it can be remediating damp.
The previous owner had damp proof course done in 2012 which has now failed.

I am 7 weeks into the transaction and have gone back to the seller to ask for a further reduction in the asking price to accommodate me at least getting a damp specialist in and they have refused and won’t budge on the price.

The property is liveable but requires full renovation to make it modern and also requires gas & electric servicing as the house has been empty for over a year.

I feel really sad about the whole situation because I am already £1500 deep in fees, my mortgage offer is expiring soon and I am still homeless but I am also very scared of just going ahead incase the damp situation turns out to be really bad.

Would you go ahead if you were in my shoes?
Any advice will be much appreciated thanks.

The foam spray insulation would really put me off. Many lenders don't like it at all.

Spray foam comes with a high risk of damage to a building due to reduced ventilation, increased condensation and damage to roof timbers. I'd also wonder whether it might be the source of a fair bit of the damp.

That said, treating damp is all about finding the cause and fixing that, rather than the damp itself. Be wary with any damp "specialist" who suggests large amounts of work without identifying a cause. Unfortunately they don't have the best reputation.

No.
£4600 seems too cheap for a roof for a start compared to what I paid 2 years ago.
I had one very small room with damp, that cost £3,500 to sort, also 2 years ago.
£1500 in fees is a small loss compared to what you could be shelling out if you go ahead.

No.

I wouldn’t touch a house with damp with a barge pole.

I’ve lived with damp (rented). Never again.

There’s a lot wrong with this place.

As much as you need a home, this one will add to your stress. The money you spent so far was spent wisely as you have found out so many issues.

You will find another property and you will find a home that you can live in without sleepless nights, but I don’t think it’s this one.

good luck and don’t give up!

My survey came back with a number of issues: high damp readings, condensation, bridged damp course, mould in the bathroom ceiling with the ceiling coming off, a live wasp nest above the kitchen roof, non fire compliant ceilings all around the house, foam spray insulation on the main roof, cracked rendering, blocked guttering.

Surely at least half of those are immediately noticeable to anyone with eyes though? Did you not view the place before offering on it?

Just pull out and get a decent flat for the same money. Any house that is cheap for its area is cheap for a reason. And don't feel bad about pulling out, this death trap sounds like it's probably owned by a slumlord who has made money shitting on his tenants, or it's a probate house.

But also, stop calling yourself homeless, you have a roof of your choosing over your head and you've enough (and enough income from a stable source if you can get a mortgage) to buy a fecking house! It's really off to say you're homeless when you're not, it makes you come across like a drama llama and it's immature, like those teenage girls at private schools who say "I'm so poor, mummy only bought me Nike trainers this term". Catch yourself on FGS, there are people sleeping on the cold wet streets tonight and there's a good risk of frost.

Whereas I'd consider purchasing a house with limited damp if I could see the source and get reduction to fix it, this house sounds riddled with damp and mould. Many lenders won't lend on houses with that spray foam which causes damp and condensation. I'm pretty sure you can do better than this house OP. Do you have to live in this exact area or would a different house with 20 miles be ok?

Walk away. £1500 gone is doable. Buying a house with damp and other problems could be a major financial disaster.

Do you love the house ?

Is it Victorian by any chance ?

@caringcarer Definitely not tied to the location tbh. It’s 45 minutes away into city centre where I work and I don’t drive.
I do admit I acted in haste & out of desperation settling for the first thing I saw in my budget but for sure open to any area except balsall heath with good bus links, a walkable distance to a grocery store and post office.

Because of the spray foam, no, It’s a huge liability.

For the future, have a look into homebuyers insurance. It may cover some costs if the same thing happens again.

Good luck, OP.

The spray foam would be the dealbreaker for me, never mind anything else

Don’t buy it. I’m surprised it’s even mortgageable. You must have a big deposit.

@Christine7 Funny enough I thought about this today and decided to call my mortgage advisor.
Turns out the bank did a desktop based valuation which made sense on how it passed.
And I got my survey done independently

Pull out.

Yes it’s £1500 ‘lost’ but FGS don’t lose hundreds of thousands buying a shithole you can’t afford to do up.

Pull out.

@Mirrormeback no I don’t love it. It’s a period property I believe.
Also really dislike that the bathroom is downstairs but I was really distressed when I made the offer. A roof over my head was better than nothing.
I couldn’t find anywhere to rent in budget and my mortgage payments would have been cheaper than rent.

I wouldn't buy it. I know it's going to be extremely disappointing to have lost £1500 but that's a relatively small amount compared to the amount you'd have to spend sorting the place out. It will be horrible for a while until you find a new place but you will look back and be glad you didn't go for it. Keep at it, you will find somewhere.

I’ve just had a look on RightMove for properties up to £175K within a mile of Bilesley and you can get a decent 2-bed flat or maisonette for that much.

Pull out. Period properties are always a money pit, but this particular one sounds absolutely a sure-fire bet to make you poor and miserable.

Don't throw good money after bad. Listen to your gut on this & take the £1.5k hit. This house is a total money pit. Next time take a builder with you or family member /friend who's had buying experience to other viewings. It's a minefield - nobody knows about it all until they get experience in it & going it alone means it can be really stressful. And if it's really low in price there's usually a reason. Good luck.

Where do you work OP. Perhaps we can help you find something nearer to your work.

I wouldn't either, because of the spray foam.

I bought a house with damp in the sitting room wall.

I cleared the adjacent blocked drain pipe, mended the guttering and reduced the soil level against the wall. I took out several bricks below the damp course, cleared fallen mortar and muck from the cavity, and then repointed the whole area. It took me most of one summer, damp problem solved.

But it was limited to one easily accessible area, and I've done the same work before successfully. As a ftb, I'd buy somewhere tatty, but not with structural problems. You need something easy to start with.

Thanks so much everyone for the advice. Your suggestions have really helped me feel better and confident in my decision.
I will pull out.

Ive bought houses with damp. The issue is what is causing it, and.how much damage has been done - is it easy to fix the underlying cause?

In your target house there are loads of potential causes: cracked render and leaking roof will both let water in, lack of heating and ventilation giving you condensation, blocked guttering saturating external wall, spray foam insulation not allowing ventilation of roof space. Of those its the spray insulation that would most worry me - the roof timber could be pretty rotten and need replaced.
But its a long list of problems.