Since moving into our new home about two years ago, we've suffered from damp in the loft as have two other neighbours on our corner. We were told it was because an extraction fan from the bathroom that should have been piped outside, instead was vented into the attic space, plus the central ridge vent for the roof, hadn't been cut to create a draught through this area.
This year it was the same only worse as we now have the mold that next door had last year, warping the boards on the loft roof and we've been told that the extraction unit hadn't been fitted right, so that steam was still getting into the loft area (mold on the bathroom ceiling below, alerted us to the fact things still hadn't been fixed).
Any suggestions as to what the cause/ cure of this problem is?
Surely that depends on the type of survey that the OP had paid for? if it was the basic building society one, then that problem would have been unlikely to have been picked up on the survey!
Indeed. Borrowing 200k? Save some money and get a 'basic' survey for 200 sovs. Genius.
Building Society surveys are worthless. When your home/debt falls into a hole in the ground, who's going to pay up? Clue: Not the BS or the basic surveyor.
Well as the OP's house was apparently new two years ago (and presumably he's the first owner), he's hardly likely to need to shell out for a full structural survey - especially if the house is covered by the NHBC scheme.
And providing he has not embroidered the truth on the insurance application form to get a cheaper premium, and he has a good policy with a reputable company [1] - then his insurance company will fork out for the rebuilding in the unlikely event that it "falls into a hole in the ground" and they'll pay for temporary accommodation for him and the family during the rebuilding.
Oh, and the various 'searches' before exchanging contracts (including the idiotic HIP pack) should have told him if there was any possibility of his house being built over a 'hole' in the first place - and a quick look at the original plans would have told him whether the house was built on strip or raft foundations (and this would give another clue as to the possibility of 'holes' in the ground, along with an idea as to the type of ground the house is built on!
As for the original problem on a presumably two year old house, my advice would simply to get in touch with the builders (if the are still around in this climate) - and if it's one of the major players in the game, then rectification shouldn't be a problem, if not then the problem shouldn't be too expensive or complicated to sort out (either by a builder or even DIY).
[1] I never advise anyone to "embroidered the truth" on an application form or to buy the cheapest house insurance available as this usually leads to some fantastic problems when making a claim (from my own experiences many years ago) - always buy the best cover that you can afford and *ALWAYS* from reputable companies.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.