We already know how much dampness in a home costs.
Usually caused by saturated cavity insulation the obvious cost can be:
- Damage to decoration
- Ill health
- Internal plaster falling off
- Mould spores
- Condensation ruining clothes
- The cost of removal of insulation
That in itself is not good but we wondered what effect it might have on the value of the home. So we went to House Buy Fast, a professional property buying company who purchase 100’s of homes across the UK every year.
We asked Director, Jonathan Rolande to value a 3 bedroom home in Exeter, Devon before and after we went in to remove hundreds of kilos of cold, wet insulation that was playing havoc with the home.
This is what he said;
“Firstly we looked at the property externally, and it seemed ok. The area is mixed private and Local Authority owned which has a small impact on value but not too much these days. It is near schools and good roads, shops etc and using our valuation calculator we arrived at a figure of £145,000 on it.”
“Then we saw the inside. That changed everything! The house has serious problems, mould, plaster falling off and just a horrible damp feeling and smell. No buyer in their right mind would pay £145,000.”
We asked “so what would they pay?”
Jonathan said “well, a surveyor would probably value this at zero until the issue is sorted out, it’s completely unmortgageable for a normal buyer. A professional buyer must also consider this but would still offer. With all the issues the damp has caused? You’d be lucky to get £100,000”.
So there it is. A simple issue like wet insulation could affect the value by £45,000!
And the cost of safely removing the insulation and allowing the property to breathe and dry as it should?
Well under £2000 with everything left clean, tidy and all insulation and debris taken away.
If you’re worried about dampness, simply contact us for a free, no obligation survey and the advice you need.
Check out our stellar reviews on Checkatrade if you’re not convinced, our rating is 9.84 out of 10 which we’re very proud of!