Damp Checklist for London Homebuyers: What to Consider Before Making an Offer

So, you’ve found the perfect house, the location is ideal, close to the kids’ school, the neighbours seem great and the price is just about affordable. While the house needs a little TLC, it definitely has potential, but before you make an offer, you need to be 100% sure that the property is damp-free.

Professional damp survey

The only way to be certain that the property has no damp issues is to call London Damp Specialists and one of our qualified surveyors will inspect the building from top to bottom and when the survey is completed, we send you a detailed written report, along with a quote for recommended remedial work. Signs of damp can easily be concealed with a couple of coats of paint and the last thing you want is to buy a house that needs thousands of pounds of damp repair.

Tell-tale signs of damp, mould and condensation

When you are viewing a property you are thinking of buying, here are a few tell-tale signs that damp is present.

• Damp patches on walls and ceilings – Inspect every room, look at the ceiling corners and along the skirting board and in the window reveals. Any signs of damp would be a cause for concern and should be pointed out to the seller; we can do a survey and quote for damp proofing solutions.
• Timber – All inner fittings, including window and door frames, skirting board and architrave should be examined for signs of dry rot or woodworm. It is worth noting that a couple of coats of gloss paint can hide these signs, so make sure you check all rooms, staircases and cupboards; you will need a flashlight to see in some places. If you see tiny holes in timber, with small mounds of dust, this is woodworm larvae and that can spread quickly.
• Loft – The loft is mainly timber so armed with a flashlight, check the rafters and joists; look for discolouration and dark patches. The joists you walk on are also prime for damp; all it takes is a few roof tiles blown away in a storm to let rainwater in and that is all it takes for damp to get a foothold.
• Exterior – Whether brickwork, masonry or render, the exterior surface has to deal with the harsh British climate; check the mortar and if it crumbles, repointing is necessary. Check along the building line, where rising damp might be hiding; the damp proof course in older properties can decay, which allows moisture to move up the brickwork in a capillary action.
• Peeling wallpaper/flaking paint – Peeling wallpaper means interior walls with high moisture content, as does flaking or bubbling paint, at London Damp Specialist, we can take small plaster samples and lab test for moisture content, which is accurate and definitive – a damp room would have moisture in the walls.

Call London Damp Specialists on 020 7458 4864 and we’ll arrange for a damp surveyor to inspect your potential dream home and we issue a 30-year warranty on all our work.