Advice Needed Re Damp In My Mum and Dad's House

glenamber · 11 Apr 2007

My mum and dad are in the process of selling their house and have had word back from the prospective buyer's surveyor that there is a little bit of damp. My parents don't know where and a specialist damp man is coming on Monday to see about this. I don't think that it is a huge problem, maybe a big one, how much will they have to spend should it require a damp proofing course? It is a three bedroomed semi detached house. I don't know if this is the right place to post but I am asking advice anyway.
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breezer · 11 Apr 2007

50p says the "specialist damp man" will find damp everywhere

glenamber · 11 Apr 2007

So what do they do? This depends on whether or not their house sells.

noseall · 11 Apr 2007

breezer said:
50p says the "specialist damp man" will find damp everywhere

....yeah, especially if he is armed with one of those super duper, two pronged, ultra sensitive (but can't tell the difference between damp and condensation), electronic devices.

talk about being conned.

glenamber · 11 Apr 2007

glenamber said:
So what do they do? This depends on whether or not their house sells.

breezer · 11 Apr 2007

simple.

don't get a "specialist damp man" in.

wasn't recomended / suggested by the surveror was he?

also how do you know the feedback is true? (did any others mention damp?)

tell you what i will offer £1k for the house, as its got loads of damp everywhere, i know this because i can tell as in my other job i am a "specialist damp man".

do you see what i am saying?

^woody^ · 11 Apr 2007

Ask for a copy of the report.

Check the credentials or the surveyor and comments. In particular is it a proper survey of condition, or a token 5 minute valuation survey ?

If you agree then feel free to make a reduction in the asking price. If you don't agree, decline their offer and reject their survey and put the property back on the market.

Remember - buyers are out to get the house a cheap as possible, and you own them nothing. There are many more potential buyers out there.

Your parents, as sellers, do not have to get any surveys done, or damp tests done to support the sale. If the buyers want to, then it is up to them.

david1805 · 11 Apr 2007

Woody's right - its up to the potential buyers to prove you have got damp rather than your parents proving they haven't.

The problem with the damp specialist, as others have noted, is that he will turn up with a so called damp meter, which is actually an electrical conductivity meter, talk a good job about hygroscopic salts and will 'prove' you have damp throughout the whole house. He will suggest the only real fix is to remove 1m of plaster from every external wall, drill and inject some chemicals and then replaster with plaster with special additives all for £1020 seemingly irrespective of the size of the house. Steer well clear.

Trazor · 11 Apr 2007

Best to get totally independent advice about this "problem".

As breezer says..Sometimes, all is not what it seems, there are a lot of unscrupulous people about.

I would pay for the opinion of a good local builder, who knows the area/houses

neilsumner · 12 Apr 2007

I have to stand up for some of the better damp specalists out there.

We just bought a new house and the surveyor threw up "High damp readings" in the utility room with their damp meter.
We bought in a 'specalist' to see if it was going to be a problem for us.
The guy that did the survey gave us loads of very practical advice about how to cure the damp without spending any money on specalist treatments or repairs.

It cost about £80 if I recall correctly for a couple of hours work and a typed report. You pay more than that for a mechanic to work on your car but when you are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a house it could be worth it to know that it is not an indicator of something bigger.

EDIT, of course in this case it is the buyers responsibility to satisfy themselves about the damp NOT the seller as we had to.

-Neil

glenamber · 12 Apr 2007

My parents are not getting the damp specialist in. It is the prospective buyers of the house so we are assuming that they must still be keen to get it. I just do not want my mum and dad ripped off because in my mind obviously the specialist is not exactly independent of them as it is they that have requested the specialist. He is going to come into our family home, say there is damp, therefore buyers will want to drop their offer price.

^woody^ · 12 Apr 2007

Bear this in mind ... if there is a surface condensation, rising or penetrating damp issue, then there will be visible signs. No one surveys with just a meter.

Anyone who pokes a meter in two or three places should be shown the door. If he marks out a grid on paper and tests 50 locations on the wall and records the readings on the grid, then have some confidence in him.

If he puts the meter on a plaster wall and points out a high reading- ask him how he managed to calibrate the meter for plaster and not timber.

If he takes hygrometer and temperature readings then he is doing well.

If he mentions a problem and only one cause and one solution, then he is not to be trusted. He must explore all options and discount each possibility before giving you a conclusion.

But at the end of the day, he could find nothing.

But slip this one in .... when he phones to book a visit, ask him if he has PI (Professional Indemnity) insurance and ask him to bring a copy for your inspection and records. Don't get this confused with PL (Public Liability) insurance which he may have. And in the same sentance, casually mention that you would not like his report to scupper the sale

And when he comes, ask him if he would mind if you got a second opinion (off your good family friend who is a RICS member) if he finds lots of probelms.
This will put him on his guard to watch what he reports.

Have fun with the damp man I say

NickStone · 12 Apr 2007

Glen, lots of buyers try to drop their price and sometimes they're just testing the seller's nerve. I sold a house last year and the buyers dropped their original offer by £30,000 just before exchange. They were trying it on. When I called their bluff, they changed their mind and I got what I'd wanted. Unless your Mum and Dad are desperate to sell, I suggest they don't let their house go too easily. If these buyers have had a survey, they must be keen and if your Mum and Dad hold their ground, they may still buy. They may back off, too, of course - but there's usually room for negotiation. All houses have something wrong with them.

neilsumner · 12 Apr 2007

>>>
If he takes hygrometer and temperature readings then he is doing well.
<<<

That could be important because one of the things our damp 'expert' said was that the readings he was taking were not as bad as the numbers were showing because the temperatures were also low (4 degrees C, the house was empty over winter)

-Neil

Trazor · 12 Apr 2007

neilsumner said:
the house was empty over winter -Neil

I think it would have helped if you had mentioned this earlier...

An empty house, not heated, over winter, will show some effects due to damp.

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Advice Needed Re Damp In My Mum and Dad's House

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