Not necessarily. Many homebuyer surveys and mortgage valuations flag damp based on a quick meter reading and recommend a specialist inspection, without identifying the cause. Treat it as a prompt to get a proper damp survey from a qualified surveyor before you commit to costly work or renegotiate.
I get sent a lot of survey reports, and I’ll be honest: some of the damp comments in them aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. A line like ‘high damp meter readings were recorded to the ground floor walls, rising damp is suspected, refer to a specialist’ tells you almost nothing about what’s actually going on.
It helps to know what you’ve paid for. A mortgage valuation is for the lender. Its job is to put a value on the property, not to diagnose damp. A homebuyer survey or building survey goes further, but the surveyor is a generalist. Damp diagnosis is a specialism, and a moisture meter in the wrong hands flags problems that aren’t there and misses ones that are. Most of those meters are designed for timber and give high readings on salty plaster, foil-backed paper and cold walls with condensation on them.
The problems I see in reports include rising damp being diagnosed when the readings don’t follow a rising damp pattern, no mention of the outside of the building, and ballpark costs from people who don’t carry out the work. None of that helps a buyer make a decision.
If your report mentions damp:
- Don’t panic and don’t walk away just yet. A lot of damp issues are relatively simple fixes once the real cause is known.
- Get a proper damp survey from a qualified surveyor, ideally someone holding the CSRT qualification and working for a PCA member company. That’s what many lenders and solicitors expect where damp has been flagged.
- Make sure the report explains the cause and the evidence, not just that the wall is ‘damp’. Readings at different heights, the outside of the building, ventilation and how the house is used should all be considered.
- If your lender has put a retention on the mortgage pending a specialist report, you’ll need a report and quotation in a format they’ll accept.
A good damp report should tell you what’s wrong, why, and what needs doing in order of priority. If it just says ‘inject a DPC throughout’ with no reasoning, ask questions.
When to call a specialist
If you're buying and damp has been flagged, or your lender has applied a retention, get a specialist report before exchange so you know what you're dealing with. Book a survey with All Dry on 01226 287181 or email info@alldrydampproofing.com.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a mortgage valuation a damp survey?
No; a valuation is for the lender and is not a diagnosis of damp.
What is a mortgage retention for damp?
It's where the lender holds back part of the loan until a specialist report or remedial work satisfies them.
Who should carry out a damp survey?
A qualified damp surveyor, ideally CSRT qualified and working for a PCA member company.