We are currently selling our house and the buyers surveyor said we had a little bit of woodworm in one of our joists in the attic. We have looked ourselves with a large torch and didnt see anything. They are sending a specialist tomorrow. Now having read more about the subject I am concerned that (a) the woodworm if it does exist is historical (b) it is a tactic to reduce our price?! (c) the specialist recommends some mass spraying exercise which is really not necessary. A friend mentioned that she knew a surveyor and that it could be one of their tricks to help the buyer - does this really happen?!?!?
Hi I have looked into this a lot myself. Quite often in an old house you will get woodworm around the loft hatch, as this is where the wood meets the ideal conditions. I would challenge anyone with a house pre central heating to find no woodworm its there in various places. If the roof is sound (not leaking) and there are few holes you should be fine. Woodworm needs a certain amount of moisture in the wood to survive, and they also like an amount of warmf. Where the two meet is ideal (loft hatch). It's fairly likely that the surveyer didn't take a trip through the whole attic to find the holes. Also they are very good at covering their bottoms, so they will suggest everything, but tell you nothing in the process. Esentially if they get anyone in, make sure it is an independant specialist and not a guy that will do a quote for them (which you will probably be asked to subtract from your selling price). This pretty much gives the timber treater free reign to over price as its a guaranteed payment. Hope this helps Druzil
Hi I think i'm right in saying that a surveyor is acting on behalf of the lender, basically making sure the property is a sound investment, so it's unlikely that they put the interests of the purchaser before the building society. They also have a strict code to adhere too so you would be pretty unlucky to come across an unscrupulous one.
It's also pretty straight forward to see if woodworm is live or not (give it a tap, look out for dust/fresh evidence etc - google for some pics to give you an idea - it's also worth noting that woodworm only burrows about 1cm into wood, this is why you should never cut away old woodworm damaged wood because if they are still present they will start again!).
I've never heard of treatment being recommended if the woodworm is dead (and as i say an expert can see this very quickly), and so if they do recommend woodworm treatment then be assured it is necessary, and I doubt very much a ploy to lower your price. From my experience these kind of treatments cost in the region of hundreds rather than thousands and it's such a common thing in older houses that it really shouldn't be anything to worry about.
Yes remember the woodworm 'expert' may be a salesman. I had one who wanted to spray the entire house against long-dead woodworm, just because he could see evidence of some trails in the stripped floorboards in the bedroom, despite me telling him they'd been gone for at least 20 years. Fortunately the other company I got to quote realised this.
I think the problem with woodworm is the effect the word has on some people. It's like mentioning drugs to your parents. You can see in their eyes the visions of limp bodies with needles poking from arm veins, decreped stained rooms with unsavoury characters moving about. Some people see the worst when a "baddie" is mentioned and will run a mile. Unforunately reasoning with them and discussing your research into the problem may not be enough. The trick will be in convincing them that your woodworm are not heroin addicts (totally infested), but have just got a bit stoned and then moved on because the wood is damper somewhere else.
I think i'm right in saying that a surveyor is acting on behalf of the lender, basically making sure the property is a sound investment, so it's unlikely that they put the interests of the purchaser before the building society.
The surveyor will act on behalf of whoever has engaged them - that could be the lender (if there is one), could be the purchaser or he could be acting for them both...
worth knowing poohsticks, thanks; but they still have a code of ethics right no matter whom they are acting for? and anyway, what would be the advantage to the buyer for him to say there was woodworm if there wasn't? sure they'd have to pay for the work but a reduction on top? I've never heard of that...takes all sorts I guess!
