h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Arrggghhh!

it never goes right, does it? For those of you who have followed my house buying saga, we found another and far better house. The survey is done, the mortgage has gone through

Hurrah! I hear you say? Well, not yet. Due to damp in the floor the lenders have put a 1000 pound retention on the mortgage, i.e. sort it before you move or we won't lend you 1000 of the money.

Anyone else got any handy hints or jolly stories about damp, wet rot, woodworm and/or mortgage retentions they want to share with me?

It's going to take more than a to sort this one out....

Have you actually handed over the money? I got a thousand quid knocked off the asking price to replace dry rotted floorboards under the windows and rewire the downstairs.
In the course of rewiring we discovered a very large cellar, which the previous owners had thoughtfully left the old coal piles and wood piles in before blocking it off. We got to the wet rot in the wood pile about a foot short of the seventeenth century floorboards.

Why is your floor damp? Is the damp course blocked? Have the boards always been covered by fitted carpet? Open all the doors and windows (if it's not actually raining) and make with the hairdrier.
Here in Hong Kong I use an electric dehumidifier in the rainy season. Otherwise my shoes and clothes would go mouldy. It might be worth investing in one. Good luck

Hello there!

Not handed over the money yet - thank goodness! I think we may be negotiating a lower price somehow.

I think the place is damp because the rendering on the front of the house has been taken down over the damp course. This has to be removed I guess. I ought to say that the flat we're currently in has a damp problem and we have done a lot over the past three years with our dehumidifier. It made a real difference and got rid of the mould on the walls...

Thanks for the feedback!