Basements and damp: desktop checks only (not a damp report)

Basements and cellars can be dry, useful spaces, or ongoing maintenance liabilities. Viewing and surveys answer most questions. This page lists desktop prompts only.

What you can ask from a distance

Look for history of tanking, pumps, and French drains in paperwork. Ask about winter smells and past insurance claims. Check whether street level drains sit uphill or downhill in street view imagery as a rough prompt, not a diagnosis.

What you cannot do from a laptop

You cannot verify vapour barriers, slab moisture, or hidden pipe leaks. Commission specialists when the property warrants it.

Not a substitute for a survey or damp specialist.

Property Passport UK

Use Property Passport UK to organise Documents, Media, Tasks, Events, and Flags for a Property, and to share a Public Passport when you want buyers or permitted Stakeholders to see selected facts without exposing private Documents.