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Original poster

Would you buy this property?

54 replies

hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 19:57

Hi,

So we are in the process of buying a house. We had a survey done which came back with high damp meter readings in several areas to the ground floor of the property. It was advised to get a specialist damp/timber surveyor in.

We have done this, just got the report back and the remedial works to sort the issue out is going to cost around 10 grand!!

Would you try and renegotiate with the seller or pull out?

OP posts:
indoorplantqueen · 23/08/2025 19:58

Depends how much I wanted it but I would re negotiate the price.

Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 20:03

indoorplantqueen · 23/08/2025 19:58

Depends how much I wanted it but I would re negotiate the price.

We do really like the house and it is cheap for the size of the house. 4 bed for 120,000

OP posts:
Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 20:03

indoorplantqueen · 23/08/2025 19:58

Depends how much I wanted it but I would re negotiate the price.

We do really like the house and it is cheap for the size of the house. 4 bed for 120,000

OP posts:
Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 20:03

indoorplantqueen · 23/08/2025 19:58

Depends how much I wanted it but I would re negotiate the price.

We do really like the house and it is cheap for the size of the house. 4 bed for 120,000

OP posts:
Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 20:03

indoorplantqueen · 23/08/2025 19:58

Depends how much I wanted it but I would re negotiate the price.

We do really like the house and it is cheap for the size of the house. 4 bed for 120,000

OP posts:
Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 20:04

Oops for some reason that came through 4 times 😬

OP posts:
housemoveheadache · 23/08/2025 20:13

Who did the damp survey for you? If it was one of the ‘chemical damp proofing’ firms, then I would take the survey recommendations (and the cost) with a very large pinch of salt. The chemical damp course companies make a fortune selling the fallacy that injecting chemicals into damp walls can dry them out. Generally speaking, damp is caused by a bridged damp course, leaking guttering, leaking pipes etc, all of which can be fixed, usually for much less than ten grand.

If however, the survey wasn’t recommending a chemical damp course and was instead pointing out the cost of remedying the causes, then I would try to negotiate with the vendor.

DrySherry · 23/08/2025 20:14

Definitely negotiate it off the price. They will be expecting it.

Tootsiroll · 23/08/2025 20:15

What sort of house is it and how old?

housethatbuiltme · 23/08/2025 20:17

Hard to know without knowing the area, visual condition when offer was made and if it was priced with this taken into account.

I bought a 4 bed for £100k that was a touch over £10k under asking, it was obviously very dated though so had been priced based on that. Money was knocked off for a roofing/attic issue found on survey (so not obviously visible when viewing).

I had previously offered on a house (which fell through) with damp and the damp was obvious and the house already cheap so there would have been no reduction based on the damp.

Lovingthelighterevenings · 23/08/2025 20:19

If it's cheap does the agent already think the price reflects things like damp?

XVGN · 23/08/2025 20:29

Have you checked in houseprices.io to see what it may be worth and others around it?

Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 21:05

Tootsiroll · 23/08/2025 20:15

What sort of house is it and how old?

Mid terrace and built pre 1919 it says on the report

OP posts:
Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 21:08

housemoveheadache · 23/08/2025 20:13

Who did the damp survey for you? If it was one of the ‘chemical damp proofing’ firms, then I would take the survey recommendations (and the cost) with a very large pinch of salt. The chemical damp course companies make a fortune selling the fallacy that injecting chemicals into damp walls can dry them out. Generally speaking, damp is caused by a bridged damp course, leaking guttering, leaking pipes etc, all of which can be fixed, usually for much less than ten grand.

If however, the survey wasn’t recommending a chemical damp course and was instead pointing out the cost of remedying the causes, then I would try to negotiate with the vendor.

Edited

The survey was carried out by an independent damp and timber specialist not a chemical damp proofing company so their intention is just to identify the issues and point out what remedial works would be needed to sort the problem.

I feel like getting the damp specialist in was money well spent.

In terms of negotiating should I ask for 10 grand less because of the damp issue? We are going to have to spend a lot on the house anyway to modernise it

OP posts:
Readyforslippers · 23/08/2025 21:08

Surveys for older properties almost always suggest a damp survey, which in turn almost always recommend a load of expensive and unnecessary work. I'd go by what you saw as well, did it smell damp, were there any other signs? What work did they suggest?

Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 21:09

housemoveheadache · 23/08/2025 20:13

Who did the damp survey for you? If it was one of the ‘chemical damp proofing’ firms, then I would take the survey recommendations (and the cost) with a very large pinch of salt. The chemical damp course companies make a fortune selling the fallacy that injecting chemicals into damp walls can dry them out. Generally speaking, damp is caused by a bridged damp course, leaking guttering, leaking pipes etc, all of which can be fixed, usually for much less than ten grand.

If however, the survey wasn’t recommending a chemical damp course and was instead pointing out the cost of remedying the causes, then I would try to negotiate with the vendor.

Edited

The survey was carried out by an independent damp and timber specialist not a chemical damp proofing company so their intention is just to identify the issues and point out what remedial works would be needed to sort the problem.

I feel like getting the damp specialist in was money well spent.

In terms of negotiating should I ask for 10 grand less because of the damp issue? We are going to have to spend a lot on the house anyway to modernise it

OP posts:
Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 21:11

housethatbuiltme · 23/08/2025 20:17

Hard to know without knowing the area, visual condition when offer was made and if it was priced with this taken into account.

I bought a 4 bed for £100k that was a touch over £10k under asking, it was obviously very dated though so had been priced based on that. Money was knocked off for a roofing/attic issue found on survey (so not obviously visible when viewing).

I had previously offered on a house (which fell through) with damp and the damp was obvious and the house already cheap so there would have been no reduction based on the damp.

Looking at the house when we viewed it, there was no obvious signs that it had damp.

What area was that house in? We are based in South Wales and in a similar situation where it needs quite obvious modernising etc

OP posts:
Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 21:11

housethatbuiltme · 23/08/2025 20:17

Hard to know without knowing the area, visual condition when offer was made and if it was priced with this taken into account.

I bought a 4 bed for £100k that was a touch over £10k under asking, it was obviously very dated though so had been priced based on that. Money was knocked off for a roofing/attic issue found on survey (so not obviously visible when viewing).

I had previously offered on a house (which fell through) with damp and the damp was obvious and the house already cheap so there would have been no reduction based on the damp.

Looking at the house when we viewed it, there was no obvious signs that it had damp.

What area was that house in? We are based in South Wales and in a similar situation where it needs quite obvious modernising etc

OP posts:
Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 21:13

XVGN · 23/08/2025 20:29

Have you checked in houseprices.io to see what it may be worth and others around it?

Haven’t looked at that extensively but to be honest a semi decent 3 bed is around that asking price in the area we are looking at, so we assumed 120k to be quite cheap for a 4 bed

OP posts:
Barrenfieldoffucks · 23/08/2025 21:15

We have had this as both a buyer and a seller. We have always split the cost.

Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 21:16

Readyforslippers · 23/08/2025 21:08

Surveys for older properties almost always suggest a damp survey, which in turn almost always recommend a load of expensive and unnecessary work. I'd go by what you saw as well, did it smell damp, were there any other signs? What work did they suggest?

There was a very slight smell of mustyness in the front reception room but other than that we didn’t notice anything so signs of mould or anything like that. We have lived in a rented house that was riddled with damp and it was really obvious there.

The work they have said needs doing is quite a lot because it affects the two sitting rooms, hallway and under the stairs. Needs hacking, re rendering plastering etc amongst things to stop it happening again.

OP posts:
Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 21:16

Readyforslippers · 23/08/2025 21:08

Surveys for older properties almost always suggest a damp survey, which in turn almost always recommend a load of expensive and unnecessary work. I'd go by what you saw as well, did it smell damp, were there any other signs? What work did they suggest?

There was a very slight smell of mustyness in the front reception room but other than that we didn’t notice anything so signs of mould or anything like that. We have lived in a rented house that was riddled with damp and it was really obvious there.

The work they have said needs doing is quite a lot because it affects the two sitting rooms, hallway and under the stairs. Needs hacking, re rendering plastering etc amongst things to stop it happening again.

OP posts:
BCBird · 23/08/2025 21:17

hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 20:04

Oops for some reason that came through 4 times 😬

I was going to.say you.obviously like it😂 you.have obviously spent money on the surveys which was money well spent. If u pull out it might feel like this is wasted money. U could try to renegotiate the price, but will you be able to fund the 10k and how long will it take and how disruptive will it be?

Original poster
hugsandpugs · 23/08/2025 21:34

BCBird · 23/08/2025 21:17

I was going to.say you.obviously like it😂 you.have obviously spent money on the surveys which was money well spent. If u pull out it might feel like this is wasted money. U could try to renegotiate the price, but will you be able to fund the 10k and how long will it take and how disruptive will it be?

Show quote history

😂😅

Not sure what’s going on with my phone keeps sending more than once.

Yes definitely money well spent, it’s the first time we are buying a house too so we are trying to be really cautious!

We can find the 10K yes but this would eat into the budget we have set aside to modernise the place a bit so if they can drop the price that would be more comfortable.

Ideally I’d want the work done before we physically move in as it does sound like it would be noisy and disruptive which is not what I want with 3 kids and two dogs 🤣🫣

OP posts:
outofdate · 23/08/2025 21:36

housemoveheadache · 23/08/2025 20:13

Who did the damp survey for you? If it was one of the ‘chemical damp proofing’ firms, then I would take the survey recommendations (and the cost) with a very large pinch of salt. The chemical damp course companies make a fortune selling the fallacy that injecting chemicals into damp walls can dry them out. Generally speaking, damp is caused by a bridged damp course, leaking guttering, leaking pipes etc, all of which can be fixed, usually for much less than ten grand.

If however, the survey wasn’t recommending a chemical damp course and was instead pointing out the cost of remedying the causes, then I would try to negotiate with the vendor.

Edited

This!

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