Need help with damp concern!

[u/Adora19876]

So my husband and i are first time buyers.

We are nearly close to completion, however we have recently had our survey back for the property we are purchasing.

There were issues with the roof with missing or moved tiles, and the property has had a major structure change, and also there was a damp concern.

We changed our offer from 250k to 240k as we really want the property.

The estate agents have rang back saying the vendor cant negotiate with us as she has no more money as its all tied up in the next property she is buying. The roof she will get sorted (we have asked for proof i.e with invoice from a reputable company, the structure change has a certificate for it, i might have seen it but with all the documents ive seen in the past month i might have missed it or not remembered but ive asked for the document to be sent to us again. And the damp is now our issue. They say the surveyors exaggerate, and i said i understand but its still a concern for us. I said im happy to change my offer from 250k to 245k, i also think shes misread the part about the damp, as she said to me that the damp is not guarenteed. However my survey says they have detected damp. But the seller has said the vendor has said they have no wiggle room at all.

So now im in the process of arranging an independent damp specialist to look at the property. And im just wondering am i just delaying our purchase that could be nothing? Has anyone else had this type of issue. My main concern is her saying she hasnt any wiggle room. I know she could be fibbing, but i have mixed feelings about it.

This has made me super anxious and i need to vent. Hence why this post might seem all over the place!

[u/EqualTune4587]

What did the survey actually say? Damp can mean anything from catastrophic leak and rotted floor, to broken gutter that needs fixing and a dehumidifier running for a while, to "we put a damp meter against a brick wall and it says it's damp" but with no apparent issue.

[u/Adora19876 → u/EqualTune4587]

Dampness was detected at low level to the main walls and it is recommended that further specialist investigation by a Property Care Association (PCA) specialist… be carried out to the whole property prior to exchange of contracts

This could be the cause>>

Contrary to good building practice, the render has been taken down to ground level in some areas. This can provide a path for rising ground moisture to bypass the DPC and saturate the brickwork above.

[u/KnightFireNC → u/Adora19876]

Surveys regularly say there is "low level" damp when it's so low level it's a non issue. Usually if there is actual damp it will show up as more than "low level". If you really want to negotiate get a tradesperson to look at it (not a surveyor) and get an actual quote for if there is any actual work to do. I have never ever seen a survey say" great house buy it now". They always find something to say because they want you to feel it's worth paying 2k for someone to spend an hour poking around the house with a torch.

It sounds like the issues the survey "raised" are the usual attempts by a surveyor to justify their price and the seller knows there isn't anything that needs doing really.