Should I Buy a House With Damp?

If you only bought houses with no damp at all, you’d struggle to buy an older house in Yorkshire. Most period properties have had some damp at some point. The question isn’t whether there’s damp. It’s what’s causing it, how bad it is, and what it’ll cost to put right.

Damp that’s often straightforward

• Condensation and mould from how the house has been lived in, poor ventilation or lack of heating.
• Blocked or leaking gutters and downpipes.
• A bridged DPC from a high path or flowerbed.
• Localised plumbing leaks.
• Old salt-contaminated plaster from damp that’s already been dealt with.

Damp that needs a closer look

• Signs of wet rot or dry rot in floors, skirtings, roof timbers or joist ends.
• Widespread penetrating damp from failed render, a chimney stack or roof.
• Water coming into a cellar you were planning to convert.
• Cracking alongside damp, which could point to drainage or structural problems.
• Evidence of previous damp treatment that’s failed, and no guarantee to go with it.

Watch for cover-ups

Fresh paint on one patch of wall, new skirting boards in one room, furniture or rugs in odd places, plug-in air fresheners everywhere, and a strong smell of paint can all be innocent. They can also hide damp. Look at the outside too: gutters, pointing, render and ground levels.

What to do before you exchange

• Read your homebuyer or building survey carefully, and don’t panic at a generic comment about high meter readings.
• Get a specialist damp and timber survey from a qualified surveyor. If your lender has made a retention, they’ll want this anyway.
• Ask the seller about previous damp work and for any guarantees, and check they’re valid and transferable.
• Get the cost of the work in writing, so you can factor it in or negotiate.
• If you’re planning renovations, tell the surveyor, because it changes the advice.

A house with damp can be a great buy if you go in with your eyes open. The worst outcome is finding out after you’ve moved in.