Is this London’s mouldiest house? Inside the £220,000 flat with black spores ‘in each room’
A central London home on the market for £220,000 has been slammed as ‘disgraceful’ and ‘outright uninhabitable’ for its shocking mould infestation.
The two-bedroom property in Barking, east London, has a black mould problem so advanced that the spores have even wrapped their way around the bannister.
The property description by the estate agent boasts interiors ‘bathed in natural light, creating a welcoming atmosphere’ in the ‘delightful property’.
But invasive damp and mould is clearly visible in both bedrooms, the kitchen, the bathroom, the landing and even along the stairs.
And viewers online have been quick to identify that the unexpired 54-year leasehold will make it even more difficult to obtain a mortgage, sell the property and fix the glaring structural issues.
Barking estate agent Just Moovin writes: ‘We are pleased to present this perfectly positioned, attractive end-of-terrace first-floor maisonette that presents a fantastic opportunity for those seeking a comfortable living space.
A central London home on the market for £220,000 has been slammed as ‘disgraceful’ and ‘outright uninhabitable’ for its shocking mould infestation (Pictured: One of the bedrooms)
The two-bedroom property in Barking, east London, has a black mould problem so advanced that the spores have even wrapped their way around the bannister (pictured)
‘This property is ideal for couples or small families.’
But viewers are wholly unimpressed, taking to social media to register their shock at the unlivable property.
One wrote: ‘I feel really bad for whoever lives here, it’s incredibly bad for your health and the spores will be so deep into the wood and plaster.
‘The whole thing will have to be taken back to bare brick. It’s unsellable.’
Another said: ‘This would suit a blind person with no sense of smell, no sense of touch and unable to judge temperature. Also perfect for someone not wanting to last much longer and currently in a coma.’
Others were quick to criticise the estate agent’s ‘idiotic’ description, with one person writing: ‘I think the agent must have breathed too many mildew spores or be delusional or both – “attractive and welcoming atmosphere”?’
Invasive damp and mould is clearly visible in both bedrooms, the kitchen, the bathroom, the landing and even along the stairs (Pictured: another of the two bedrooms)
Viewers have been quick to identify that the unexpired 54-year leasehold will make it harder to obtain a mortgage, sell the property and fix the glaring structural issues (Pictured: The kitchen)
The property description by the estate agent boasts interiors ‘bathed in natural light, creating a welcoming atmosphere’ in the ‘delightful property’ (Pictured: The stairs)
It comes as 60% of English residents have reported mould in their homes, according to research from January this year by comparison service Uswitch (Pictured: The exterior)
| Rank | Local authority area | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Haringey Hammersmith and Fulham Lambeth Lewisham Camden Islington Southwark Adur City of London Lewes |
30.71 29.07 26.83 25.86 16.96 16.09 16.01 15.21 14.35 14.04 |
| Source: FOI/Regulator of Social Housing Data collated by Uswitch | ||
It comes as 60% of English residents have reported mould in their homes, according to research from January this year by comparison service Uswitch.
And eight out of ten of the local authorities with the most mould complaints were from London, with Haringey, Hammersmith and Fulham and Lambeth claiming the top three spots.
A Uswitch spokesperson said: ‘This problem spans across all types of housing, from owned homes (43%) to privately rented properties (28%), and even local authority (16%) and housing association accommodation (12%).
‘Almost everyone who said they’ve experienced mould also stated that paying for adequate heating at the time was a struggle.’
MailOnline has contacted Just Moovin for comment.
But this mouldy nightmare is not the first of its kind.
A couple whose new build home was ‘riddled with mould’ from the moment they moved in said purchasing the property was ‘the biggest regret of our lives’.
Leo and Fiona Maguire, 38 and 36, were locked in a year-long battle with Linden Homes to sort out the damp and mould issues in their £419,000 home in Axminster, Devon.
Leo and Fiona Maguire were forced to return to their previous home after just three months later when they found mould behind the skirting boards in every room
The house has now been stripped back to a bare shelf with no kitchen or bathrooms and all the plumbing and electrics removed
They say there are numerous examples of ‘poor workmanship’ throughout the home and the pair are yet to return to the building until all these issues are fixed
The couple moved into the property after it was completed in May last year but were forced to return to their previous home just three months later after finding mould behind the skirting boards in every room.
Mr Maguire said the required work was likely to take another year to complete, as the house had been stripped back to a bare shelf with no kitchen or bathrooms and all the plumbing and electrics removed.
He claims Linden Homes’ customer service had been ‘awful’ and is now trying to get the developer to buy the property back from him and his wife.
Mr Maguire said: ‘We are distraught, livid and frustrated about the whole thing and that’s probably an understatement. You probably can’t put into words how incompetent they’ve been as a business.
‘It’s been an absolute disaster and the biggest regret of our lives. Their communication and customer service has been abysmal and that would be overrating it.’
The Maguires first noticed the mould issues within the first couple of weeks, after spotting it on their kitchen cupboards and around the skirting boards.
It then became visible in other rooms in the house as the mould grew around the corners of their carpets, cracked their wallpaper and ruined their clothes.
Mr Maguire said: ‘We had damp and mould within the first couple of weeks of moving in.
The couple’s trainers became covered in mould after they were left leaning against a skirting board
Mr Maguire removed every skirting board in the house and found that each room that was against a brick wall had been covered in mould
‘We noticed it in the kitchen cupboards and underneath the kitchen. We removed the plinth from the kitchen and the skirting boards were absolutely riddled with mould.
‘You could see it trying to get out the top. Where the paint has cracked at the top of the skirting board, you could see it wanting to get out.
‘We also had mould growing all around the edge of our carpets in our bedroom.
‘It was going on our clothes as well. We had trainers leaning up against a skirting board because we didn’t have a wardrobe yet and it was all on the back of the trainers.’
Mr Maguire then decided to remove every skirting board in the house and found that every room that was against a brick wall had been covered in mould.
‘It was absolutely riddled with mould, so we ended up taking all the skirting boards off in the whole house and every skirting board that was against a brick external wall.
‘Every room that was against a brick was affected,’ he said.
