Pre Purchase Damp and Timber Mortgage Survey In Manchester
This was not a free damp and timber survey. You get what you pay for these days
We were instructed to carry out a pre-purchase damp and timber survey for a mortgage application. The property was a 3 bedroom semi-detached house will solid floor to the ground floor and timber floors to the 1st floor. The initial comments from the homebuyers report suggested rising damp affecting all the outside walls to the property and presents of woodworm affecting the timbers to the roof void area.
We carried out a full survey to the property and found no rising damp at all. There was a couple of areas of damp affecting some outside walls but this was due to high external ground levels. The high ground level was bridging the damp-proof course and allowing moisture to rise over it and into the property.
Condensation was also noted to the property and this was due to poor ventilation to the kitchen area and bathroom area.
The woodworm that the homebuyers surveyor found was “forest longhorn beetle”. This is a forest beetle and required bark to affect the timbers. As the bark has now been eaten by the beetle, there is no need for treatment.
Issues in the property:
- Condensation
- Hight external ground levels
- Woodworm “forest longhorn”. Requires no treatment
Treatment required:
- Lower external ground levels (walls will dry out once lowered)
- Improve ventilation to the kitchen and bathroom areas
Note: We are the third company to carry out this survey as the client didn’t like what the others were saying. The other companies carried out a free survey and recommended rising damp treatment throughout the property including and new damp proof course. This was going to cost the client over £10,000. We have recommended no treatment apart from installing a couple of fans and lowering the flowerbed outside (approx cost £200).
