What could have caused this kind of damage?

[Glitch8]

Massive leak? 😬

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/71844064/

Yep. You can see the water stains on the bits of the ceiling that are still intact. Leaky roof I imagine.

Blimey, I see it’s gone through two floors. Must have been going on for ages!

I think a mains leak from the attic bathroom whilst someone was on holiday might be more likely.

And they still want £2.1m for it!!

Perhaps a burst header tank during a cold snap.Ive seen this twice and results were similar

The floppy wallpaper over the fireplace suggests it got very wet, so as others have suggested, a leak from above.

Leaking roof or burst cold water tank. I would also investigate the "twisted" wallpaper on photo 11/24, could be signs of building movement, or just damaged wall paper.

Yes, two floors 😬 And the top bedroom is not even shown

Knightsbridge though - wonder what they go for when they're pristine? Beautiful house (apart from all the damage, that is!)

Leak, potentially rot has set in.
That's a house that almost needs pulling down and rebuilding.
It's a very low price for the address, therefore, it needs a developer.

Well spotted 😊 The wallpaper is looking dodgy too

Blimey. The "full description" is rather brief, isn't it? "In need of refurbishment" - yeah, I'll say!

"In need of ceiling and floors"

😂

We've had a lot of leaks here, roof and water pipes - all of which have been ongoing, either without us realising or trying to get a roofer out (takes a few months here). None have ever caused that level of damage, so I wonder if the property was empty and it's come from a pipe/water tank in the roof (I'm not sure roof leaks would cause that level of damage.

I don't understand why it is being sold in its current condition. You would think that a major incident like that would be handed over to the insurers to sort out. Unless maybe the insurers have paid the owners full value and are now offloading the wreck - treating it as if it was a motor write-off.

I hope that the neighbours weren't too affected, the water does seem to have gone down one of the party walls.

Could it actually have been originally fire damage and compounded by the water used to put out the fire?
The wood beams all look black and burnt

Bet the neighbours either side weren't happy, must have been damage to theirs as well.

But 2mil for a doer upper, and that's the auction starting price?

Nothing that a bit of sellotape can't fix

2.5M - Just goes to show kirsties right, it’s all Location, Location, Location!
I’d say the heating was turned off and the water tanks in the attic froze. Or a flat roof leak, I’d always try and avoid a flat roof wherever possible!

Its probably not as bad as it looks - if your gutting it anyway, a few floorboards and ceilings and it'll be grand! It’s unlikely to be a DIY’er buying it.

Its extensive enough to be a prolonged water leak or even fire damage. It looks like someone has bought it to modernise and run out of money early on.

Its very cheap for the location, I suspect it needs not just a lot of money but specialist builders as well.

Did a quick google as am not in that market myself 😊

There is a done up house in Yeoman's row which works out £2,157 per sq ft - this one is £1,219 per square foot.

Burst pipe when house was unoccupied. Looks like nobody turned the water off for a while. If you have an outdoor stopcock or water meter, a helpful neighbour can do it, or water company or emergency services.

There is some black mildew which suggests the house was not quickly ventilated to dry it out. Mould and fungus growth is slow in cold weather, and a wet house will be cold due to heat loss from evaporation.

It appears the insurance company has not taken responsibility for repair. If the house was not regularly occupied, insurance is likely to lapse or change conditions after 30 days or so. Turning off the water and keeping the house heated are likely to be insurers requirement if you want cover against escape of water. I have been through that.

😂😂

It looks like this was a probate sale to me. My DFIL's house ( a very tiny fraction of that price ) during probate and sale we had to keep the heating on at 15 degrees during the winter months and have regular physical checks on it ( which lovely neighbours shared in doing.) Also I do recall we had to turn the stop cock off ( I think I'm right there. ) Anyway I think @PigletJohn is right.
I suspect sadly this is a probate sale and no-one has stepped up. My goodness if someone had left that house to me I'd be all over it. But I guess upwards of £2m softens the blow 😊 Of course I'm guessing about probate but just can't think of another reason a house like that would have been left to get into such a state.

"My goodness if someone had left that house to me I'd be all over it."

@BasiliskStare OMG - same. House (when done up) and the location are the stuff of dreams.