"Tony" wrote
| Now my conveyancers have turned up the 30 year guarantee for work
| done in 1982 that said the house had a COMPLETE damp proof course.
| The point I suppose I'm trying to make is:
| Why is a company offering to do a damp course on a property thats
| already had one and is still covered by a 30 year guarantee?!!

Because they will make money if they sell you a damp proof course whether or
not it's needed

| Why doesn't the original company fix it (assuming it DOES require
| another damp proof!)?!

Because the sellers never found the property to be damp and never invoked
the guarantee? Because they knew the Sept 2003 survey was rubbish?

| Why should I pay for a damp-proof course when the existing one is still
| guaranteed?!

Well, you shouldn't. But maybe you don't need a new dpc.

| Does something seem not right here?
| Any pointers anyone?!
| All advise greatly appreciated,

The 30 year guarantee (if it's transferable and still effective) should
satisfy any mortgage lender.

Visit the property when it's raining, lift a floorboard if possible, and
have a sniff and a poke around. Do *you* think it's damp?

Rising damp can only be reliably determined with a core sample of the wall
followed by lab analysis to tell from where the water came from (ground
water vs rain water vs condensed cabbage-cooking water).

Owain