Buying a House with Damp: What to Check Before You Exchange

What it means when a survey mentions damp

General surveyors and mortgage valuers often take a few moisture meter readings and recommend a specialist inspection if any are high. That recommendation is a request for more information, not a diagnosis. The readings can be caused by condensation, a leak, high ground levels, salts in old plaster or genuine rising damp.

Questions to ask the seller

• Has any damp proofing, tanking or timber treatment been done, when, and by whom?
• Is there a guarantee, is it insurance backed, and can it be transferred to you?
• Have there been any leaks from gutters, roofs, plumbing or neighbouring properties?
• Has the property ever flooded, and does it have a cellar or basement?

Signs to look for at a viewing

• Fresh paint or new plaster on just the lower part of ground floor walls
• Tide marks, salts or crumbling plaster at skirting level
• Black mould around windows, in corners or in bathrooms
• A musty smell, especially in cupboards under stairs or in a cellar
• Soil, paths or patios outside that sit above the damp proof course

Get a specialist damp survey before exchange

A specialist damp survey identifies the actual cause and gives you a written report with recommended work. That report can support a renegotiation of the price, a retention or a request that the seller completes the work first.

Ask for the report in writing, make sure it explains the cause and not just the readings, and check whether any proposed work comes with a guarantee.

Common questions