Damp blamed on plaster work
Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:00 pm
Damp proofing was installed to my property just before I purchased it in 2004. The company issued a 30 year guarantee to the then owner and unfortunately I did not realise that I had to pay a fee to transfer it into my name by a certain date. Therefore, the guarantee is now apparently invalid.
I put my house on the market (oblivious to the above) in September 09 and within 5 days (the first viewing) had a prospective buyer. However, their survey indicated damp, as well as an opinion that the damp proof course had been installed too low.
They pulled out of the sale and five months later my house is still on the market.
On hearing the above news I called the original damp proofing company the same day and they said they could be with me that afternoon but at a cost of £80 + VAT (or £80 cash - which I agreed to). The man duly arrived and after a two or three minute inspection told me that the damp proof was at the correct height and in fact the problem with damp was because the previous owner had chosen to have her own plasterers. He told me that another test could be done (£150 + VAT) to determine if the plaster was the cause of the problem. He sent me a report several weeks later confirming this.
He told me that it would cost in excess of £1000 to fix the problem if the plaster was at fault and that if I had the work done then the guarantee would be given.
It seems to me that if someone choses to hire their own plasterer then the 30 year guarantee would always be invalid, as damp proof contractors could always have the option of blaming the problem on someone else's plastering.
My house was totally renovated by the former owner and was done to an exceptionally high standard.
I now have another potential purchaser and of course I am sure that the survey will highlight the same problem.
is there anything that you can suggest please?
I put my house on the market (oblivious to the above) in September 09 and within 5 days (the first viewing) had a prospective buyer. However, their survey indicated damp, as well as an opinion that the damp proof course had been installed too low.
They pulled out of the sale and five months later my house is still on the market.
On hearing the above news I called the original damp proofing company the same day and they said they could be with me that afternoon but at a cost of £80 + VAT (or £80 cash - which I agreed to). The man duly arrived and after a two or three minute inspection told me that the damp proof was at the correct height and in fact the problem with damp was because the previous owner had chosen to have her own plasterers. He told me that another test could be done (£150 + VAT) to determine if the plaster was the cause of the problem. He sent me a report several weeks later confirming this.
He told me that it would cost in excess of £1000 to fix the problem if the plaster was at fault and that if I had the work done then the guarantee would be given.
It seems to me that if someone choses to hire their own plasterer then the 30 year guarantee would always be invalid, as damp proof contractors could always have the option of blaming the problem on someone else's plastering.
My house was totally renovated by the former owner and was done to an exceptionally high standard.
I now have another potential purchaser and of course I am sure that the survey will highlight the same problem.
is there anything that you can suggest please?