Pre-purchase damp surveys across Yorkshire
Buying a house with signs of damp, or been told by the mortgage valuer that it needs a specialist report? We inspect the property, explain what is really causing the problem and give you a written report and quotation you can take to the seller and your lender.
Ask us about your damp problem
Leave your details and a quick description of what you have noticed, and we will get back to you to talk it through. Prefer to talk now? Call 01226 287181.
"*" indicates required fields
When to book a pre-purchase damp survey
Most buyers come to us for one of these reasons. If any of them apply, a survey before you exchange contracts is money well spent.
The valuer has flagged damp
A mortgage valuation is not a damp survey. If the valuer has mentioned damp, the lender will often want a specialist report before releasing the full mortgage.
Your lender has placed a retention
If funds have been held back pending a specialist report, we can inspect the property and provide a report and quotation in the format lenders expect, usually within a week.
You can see damp or mould
Tide marks, blown plaster, black mould or a musty smell all point to moisture, but the cause and the cost to put it right can vary enormously.
The property is older or has a cellar
Solid walled houses, cellars and older extensions are far more likely to have damp or timber problems that a standard survey will not get to the bottom of.
You want to negotiate on price
A clear report and a costed quotation give you something concrete to take back to the seller, rather than guessing what the work might cost.
You are buying to let
If the property will be rented out, it needs to be free of damp and mould hazards. Knowing what you are taking on before you buy avoids problems later.
What the survey includes
Our pre-purchase surveys are carried out by a CSRT and CSSW qualified surveyor working for a Property Care Association member company. We look at the whole property, not just the patch the valuer pointed out, so you know exactly what you are buying.
- Internal, external, cellar and roof space inspection where accessible
- Moisture meter readings across the affected walls, at multiple heights
- Inspection of accessible timbers for wet rot, dry rot and woodworm
- Checks on ground levels, gutters, pointing and other external defects
- Assessment of ventilation and condensation risk
- Written report with recommendations and a costed quotation
Where no work is needed, the report will say so.
How it works
The process is simple, and we can usually work around tight purchase timescales.
Get in touch
Tell us about the property and your timescale. We confirm the survey fee before anything is booked.
We arrange access
We arrange a time to inspect the property with you or the estate agent.
We carry out the survey
Our surveyor inspects the property and takes readings wherever there are signs of damp or timber decay.
You receive your report
You get a written report and quotation, so you and your lender can make a decision with the full picture.
Your survey is carried out by a qualified surveyor
All Dry was founded by Simon Cooper, known throughout the industry as Damp Sam. Every survey is carried out by a surveyor holding the recognised industry qualifications, not by a salesperson with a moisture meter.
The Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatments and the Certificated Surveyor in Structural Waterproofing are the two qualifications that matter in this trade. We hold both. More about the team.
See a survey through to the finished job
Two write-ups that follow a property from the first inspection, through the diagnosis, to the completed work.
Clearing a remortgage damp retention in Barnsley
A lender held back remortgage funds until the damp was put right. Three different systems, a ventilation package and a ten year guarantee that stays with the property.
Read the case study
Bridged DPC and low-level damp in Royston
It looked like rising damp. Opening the wall up showed debris bridging an existing damp proof course, which changed the fix completely.
Read the case studyCovering South and West Yorkshire
We are based in Barnsley and carry out pre-purchase surveys throughout Yorkshire. We also travel further afield for pre-purchase reports, quoted individually.
Pre-purchase damp survey questions
No. A valuation establishes what the property is worth to the lender. The valuer may use a damp meter, but interpreting the readings correctly is a specialism in its own right. Where there is any doubt, lenders often ask for a report from a PCA member company with a qualified surveyor.
We aim to inspect most properties within a few days of your enquiry, with the written report normally inside a week and sooner where a sale is depending on it.
Our reports are produced by a qualified surveyor and set out the findings, the cause, the recommended work and a costed quotation, which is the information lenders usually ask for.
The fee depends on the size and type of property, its location and whether the inspection includes cellars or roof spaces. We confirm the fee before booking. You can find more detail on our pricing page.
Yes, we need access to the property, so the survey is usually arranged through the estate agent or the seller.
Buying a property with damp?
Tell us about the property and your timescale, and we will confirm the survey fee and the next available date.
01226 287181