Selling a house with humidity problem.

condensation on window
concrete
raindrops puddle

Do you remember the story about Goldilocks and three bears? Goldilocks chose a bowl of porridge that was just right, not too hot and not too cold. It’s a similar situation with humidity.

If it drops below 30% it can cause dry eyes, itchy skin and discomfort when breathing. On the other side of the scale is high humidity. This is more problematic for both health and the house itself. We will focus on the latter as it’s posing a lot of problems to the UK’s prospective buyers and sellers.

High humidity

Ideal humidity levels are considered anywhere between 40% and 60%. It reaches higher levels it encourages microorganisms to grow. The trouble is that it doesn’t differentiate between the good and the bad. Pathogens are thriving in a high humidity environment.

The most common pathogens in homes are mould, bacteria and fungus. It’s especially dangerous for anyone suffering from asthma. Breathing in spores can aggravate the condition. Read more here: NHS

Low humidity

Low humidity, so often sought after can also affect your health and well-being. From dry skin and eyes to interrupted sleep due to dried mouth. If you’re an eczema sufferer most likely your symptoms will be aggravated in the low humidity environment. On top of that low humidity increases static electricity.

mouldy wall, weathered concrete
broken concrete
mould on wall

How to measure the humidity in the house?

The most accurate are hygrometers, devices designed to measure the number of water vapour in the air. Popular weather stations also measure the humidity levels. You don’t need a specialist moisture meter. If your clothes don’t dry, your walls are damp and you often get condensation on your windows there’s a big chance that the moisture is trapped inside your house.

What to do to minimise the problem?

Depending on the size of the problem there are things you can try doing yourself or get professional advice. Living with damp is not pleasant and not healthy so act now to prevent the problem from growing. Damp problems are very common in the UK.

Often it is enough to ensure warmth and good ventilation so the moisture can escape back to the atmosphere.

Check walls behind furniture if possible. Those are places with limited airflow so perfect conditions for pathogens. If you spot black mould use a mould and mildew remover and keep an eye on it. If the mould keeps returning it might be worth having that area treated with special chemicals.

Types of damp:

Surface condensation

usually found on windows and walls. Happens when moist air hits a cold surface.

Can I minimise it?

Even though most washing machines have a high spinning cycle there’s still a lot of moisture inside your clothes. If you can – invest in a tumble dryer. You’d be surprised how much water it collects. Could be a few pints per wash. All that moisture would have ended in the air in your house.

If a tumble dryer is not an option, try to dry your clothes outside or open the window and avoid drying near a radiator – it is counterintuitive – we know. Simple things like cooking with lids on and using a kitchen extractor will help as well.

Rising damp

This kind of damp is usually found in older properties. It happens when groundwaters are rising the so-called damp proof course layer of the building has become not effective enough.

How to avoid it?

You can’t really avoid rising damp, most buildings will have a layer of non-absorbent material that will repel water in between bricks that will stop moisture travelling up high. If you spot rising damp – salt traces above skirting boards, wet walls or bubbling paint – contact a specialist for further investigation.

A professional contractor can inject the walls with a remedial treatment, a damp proof course. It is important to have damp treated as soon as possible as it can cause a lot of damage to the structure of the property.

Penetrating damp

Also known as lateral damp. Occurs when the external wall becomes porous and the water can seep through the walls or the external render is damaged.

What to do?

Penetrating damp is no joke and it needs to be dealt with professionally. A specialist surveyor can assess the moisture damage and recommend a suitable treatment. If identified incorrectly it can lead to serious property damage. The good news is that the treatment is not very complicated. Usually, it’s enough to apply cream-like protective barriers to the external walls.

Damp, no matter what kind is unpleasant to deal with. Can lead to mould and rot (dry rot and wet rot) infestation, health problems and if you ever wanted to sell your house, it gives potential buyers leverage to lower price. To achieve the best sale price make sure the damp is treated and rooms redecorated. It’s a costly process so it makes sense to seek another solution.

An Alternative

An alternative solution to putting your house on the market – the traditional way is to sell your house to a professional property buyer. House with damp or any serious damp issues is a professional property buyers’ bread and butter. Contact us today for a free non-obligatory chat. Our team will explain the whole process. You will quickly receive a cash offer – it’s a fair price even though it’s slightly under market value. Cash buyer – us – will cover all the costs involved so you don’t have to worry about anything.

We have our own funds so no mortgage companies are involved. That’s why we are able to finalise the transaction within a time frame that suits you.

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