How Do You Find Damp When Viewing a House?

The visual signs

When viewing, scan walls, ceilings and skirting for the tell-tale signs of damp:

• Tide-marks — a brownish line up to about a metre on ground-floor walls (rising damp)
• Peeling paint or wallpaper, especially lifting at the edges
• Black mould — around windows, in corners, behind furniture (condensation)
• Stained, bubbling or crumbling plaster
• Damp patches that worsen near ground level or after rain

See disclosing damp for the seller’s side.

Use your nose

One of the most reliable signs is smell — damp has a distinctive musty, earthy odour that is hard to disguise. As you move through the property, notice any rooms that smell musty or where the air feels heavy, particularly cupboards, under stairs, basements and ground-floor rooms. A strong air freshener or recently aired house may be masking a smell, so be alert.

Watch for cover-ups

Look behind large furniture where you can, and be curious about anything freshly redecorated in isolation.

Distinguish the types

If you find damp, it helps to gauge the type: condensation (black mould on cold surfaces and around windows — often cheap to fix), penetrating damp (patches that worsen after rain — a defect letting water in), or rising damp (a tide-mark up the wall — a failed damp-proof course). The type indicates how serious and costly it is (see selling with damp).

What to do if you find damp

Finding damp is not necessarily a deal-breaker — but get a survey (and a damp specialist’s report if needed) to establish the cause and cost. Use the findings to negotiate, factoring the repair into your offer. Sellers must disclose known damp, and a home with damp can be bought and fixed. If you are a seller whose damp is deterring buyers, a cash buyer purchases as-is and completes in 7-28 days.