Damp in a dry-lined basement flat

[nrglux]

Hi,
I've had a mortgage valuation back for a flat I wish to buy and the comments were "the property smelt damp, but is dry lined which limited our investgation, further investigation by a damp specialist may be prudent".
Can I DIY any remedy that may be needed? Any good book recs? Is DIY expensive materials wise? The property has been empty the best part of a year. I'm worried that if move in repaint and leave it at that it may prevent me selling easily are there other issues with leaving damp unchecked?
Would it be a good move to do away with the dry lining? (there are three exterior walls in the flat) I was thinking along the lines of if I rip the plasterboard away from the walls ~ 1870s cure the damp if need be and then plaster I would end up with slightly larger rooms and maybe a more appealing property if I resell and have prospective buyers tapping the walls.
Thanks

 

[Deluks]

Have a read thru this one


If it's not properly tanked then will cost a good few thou to put right, so if you can't be sure then take this into account when making an offer.

Then again, the fact that it's been unused for so long might be the cause of the dampness, heating not been used, no windows been opened etc.

 

[nrglux]

Have a read thru this one


If it's not properly tanked then will cost a good few thou to put right, so if you can't be sure then take this into account when making an offer.

Then again, the fact that it's been unused for so long might be the cause of the dampness, heating not been used, no windows been opened etc.

Thanks for that. I am quite far into buying it but maybe avoiding the damp inspection was a false economy. I got accepted about 5K below asking price and am reluctant to pull out as I've paid for searches, mortgage valuation and some of the conveyancing (probably 1k already).

 

[Deluks]

But the point of all those surveys and inspections is to save you money in the long run, by not buying a lemon.
That's the nature of the game though. Have you asked the seller what work has been done? Ask for invoices if need be.

If you will be happy ripping all out and getting it tanked before refurbing then that's your call. But then again you might pull the plasterboard down and find tanking membrane already in place.

If the underlying question is "shall I buy this place, yes/no" then nobody on an internet forum can give you a straight answer. But tanking/waterproofing a damp basement is not usually a diy job and can't be done without involving a fair amount of work. Which you may/may not be capable of doing yourself.

 

[BaldAlex]

I'd get a couple of waterproofing contractors to have a look at it and give you an estimate. You would use their estimates to try and negotiate some more money off the asking price before you exchange contracts.

Basement waterproofing is quite advanced DIY so at the very least it would be worth knowing how much a contractor would charge to do the work. Remember that if it isn't sorted out properly someone is going to ask you to knock money off the price when you eventually come to sell the flat.

For a basic idea of what is involved in waterproofing a basement flat have a look at http://www.cellars.co.uk/cellar-conversion.php

 

[nrglux]

Thanks guys,
I'm beginning to get the impression that I would need to read up a lot before attempting the tanking (if necessary) myself - maybe even go on a course - perhaps if the labour is into the thousands it would be worth it.