Pre-Purchase Damp & Timber Surveys
We offer HBS surveys and home inspections that explain to all parties involved the truth of the matter and explain what type of dampness or decay is being detected by the home buyers survey.
A very contentious part of selling or buying a home is someone picking up damp, decay, or woodworm. Typically, you will have to commission a damp and timber company to visit the property and undertake a damp survey.
This survey will dictate a lot of important elements and house sales completely fall through due to these assessments. Getting it right means a big deal!
(This is an extensive wet rot outbreak in a sub-floor.)
The lender also needs to know if the property is in a reasonable state to lend upon and if not, how much it will cost to bring the property back up to a good state of repair.
If the property has been neglected too long, they will not lend. The image above caused the bank to pull out.
The real problem occurs when people use damp meters to determine the presence of any type of dampness in properties as if they are the holy grail of damp detection. They are not.
The damp meter was originally designed for timber and therefore not calibrated to use inside homes on gypsum plastered and painted walls. Salts, water vapour, plastic paint and cold walls throw damp meters into a wobble. They should not be relied upon for such a serious chapter in someone’s life.
Internal damp is nearly always due to condensation, or penetrating damp symptoms that can easily be remedied by fixing the source and drying out…worst case scenario, small repairs may be needed. Not the end of the world.
Using our extensive knowledge of material science and on-site experience, we can explain this to the homeowner, the buyer, and the lender so everyone agrees, and the sale process can move forward. This is how we operate. Solutions, not problems.
If you’d like one of our surveyors to complete Pre-Purchase Damp & Timber Survey resulting in a logically explained report, just let us know.
Call us and we can put your mind at rest.
k ellis2024-03-24Sussex Heritage Damp Restoration are fantastic to deal with from start to finish. Their knowledge and work is outstanding and I would not hesitate to recommend them.
A Taylor2024-03-24I'm so glad I stumbled across the SHDR website when looking for a solution to condensation problems. Aaron got straight in touch, and came around to assess the situation. Since then he and his team (thanks Matilda and the crew!) have sorted out the condensation issue with humidity-sensitive fans and a french drain. Grateful to them for their expertise and hard work. Can highly recommend.
Toby Herst and Amber Ashley2024-03-08Very prompt and efficient service. I met Max today who is professional and informative. We have had an ongoing issue in our flat in Brighton for sometime now, SHDR has identified the issue and offered solutions in record time! Thank you MAX!!
Madeleine Spencer2024-02-25After ages of battling mould and damp in our flat, Aaron came round and did a thorough inspection of the property. He was so knowledgeable and took the time to properly explain to us what the issue was, why it was happening and advise on how to fix it. He was so friendly and enthusiastic about how it could be solved, we were left feeling so positive, optimistic and aware about what was a very concerning issue for us. Aaron even gave us quick tips on little things we could do straight away to avoid making it worse until a proper solution could be sorted out. Thanks to Aaron we actually understand some of the problems and causes and things to look out for - to the point where I’m regurgitating it to friends to seem like an expert myself! We were so impressed with his service and would highly recommend him to anyone.
Michael Nussbaum2024-02-25I've been consulting with Aaron from SHDR on a first home with damp and mould issues and the experience has been over and above the standard. Not only personable - clearly caring about our livelihood - it has been very reassuring. Plenty of people (including some specialists) have given the impression that there is basically not much that can be done as old buildings have problems. Aaron has been able to give clear explanation of causes of issues along with quick-win suggestions and proper long-term solution recommendations which actually make a difference. The knowledge displayed is incredible - nobody has the same level of passion and expertise on the subject - and matched with a pragmatic approach to give us real options that will help us. On top of this Aaron is unbelievably nice! I have been raving about the service already because it's beyond what anyone would expect
Michael Edmonds2024-02-11Over the last year, Aaron has been exceptionally helpful and friendly in helping us understand our Victorian terrace house in Brighton. He explained the issues we were experiencing in a reassuring and accessible way, and has enabled us to address them in a way that is appropriate to the property. This has improved ventilation, brought relative humidity down to ideal levels and created better air quality. Aaron has given us a much better understanding of our home and continues to check in to make sure all is well. He and his team have been great to work with and we’d definitely recommend them.
Marti Reading2024-02-05Aaron took time to sort out our condensation problem and recommended we install a Nuaire Drimaster PIV System which is working exactly as it should. Our condensation has cleared up completely and no more damp patches or smells in the house. We cannot recommend this company highly enough. They go above and beyond for their customers.
Sophie Benton2024-01-31Aaron has been absolutely brilliant from start to finish. He found the cause of a damp issue I’ve had with my flat for years and has provided some really straightforward solutions.
Brian Fudge2024-01-31Aaron saved us from buying an overpriced money pit. But more importantly, he enabled our house sale to complete at the offer price when his report convinced the buyers’ bank to remove all concerns and lend on the full amount. For both properties (our home and the target purchase) Aaron quickly and comprehensively outlined all the issues. He reported the real state of the structures and straightforward uncomplicated solutions that were sympathetic to the listed heritage requirements and unbelievably affordable.
Christopher Swallow2024-01-20Aaron is the first person to give me real actionable, professional and unbiased advice on how to maintain and upgrade our period property. I now have the confidence to work with contractors in a more informed way. Aaron is always there to give advice and help. I will be using him again!!