Posted 7 hours ago

Damp meter

My in-laws are buying a bungalow in a retirement complex. The bungalow is leasehold so the freeholder is responsible for repairs to the building.

My in-laws do not plan to instruct a surveyor but I plan to visit the property and look for damp or any other visible issues. Fair enough I am not a surveyor but my husband does work in the building industry so he has limited knowledge of what to look for.

My question is, has anyone used a damp meter before and can comment on whether it is worth me getting one to check for damp? And if so, a recommendation to a meter would be great.
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  1. JimboParrot's avatar
    Make sure they think very carefully about this. Purchasing a property on a retirement complex can be extremely difficult to sell on when necessary. You are often still liable for all the fees - maintenance etc even though the property is empty.

    They really should have a building survey done. After all, if there is something wrong then they can negotiate the price. Not every seller is going to be happy with a prospective purchaser going around making holes in their walls with a damp meter, however, when a fully qualified RICS surveyor does it there won't be any objections!
    mutley1's avatar
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    do you have to make a hole to measure the damp level?
  2. Willy_Wonka's avatar
    I thought as a freeholder there are ways to pass down costs to the leaseholder.

    Also, using a damp meter for the first time on your own home is one thing, using a damp meter for the first time & not knowing where & why to check on a property purchase is another thing all together.

    What did your husband say on the matter?
    mutley1's avatar
    Author
    repairs to leasehold properties are passed through the sinking fund and the annual service charge, so it isn't specific to your own property but all the properties on the complex, therefore issues with your individual property doesn't really matter so much for the purchase as it would be spread over 53 properties on the complex.
  5. SaturdayGigs's avatar
    Guesswork if not skilled
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