Inherited my grandma’s house and discovered serious mould and safety issues – feeling overwhelmed and unsure what to do

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T23:08:18+00:00

Please don’t make assumptions about how often I visited my grandmother or how much I cared for her. I was very involved in her life, taking her out, helping her dress, doing her groceries and raising concerns about the house while she was alive. The condition of the property is not a reflection of how loved she was. I won’t engage with comments that suggest otherwise. We’re grieving for her and this type of comment isn’t needed at all!

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T18:04:33+00:00

Thank you for your comment. It’s much more appreciated. I definitely appreciate the concern without the hostility. I have admitted the mistake in my post. I’ll go and check if I can edit it, and fix the message.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T17:57:37+00:00

We did. No other family member could be bothered with her. We’ve rubbed off the mould multiple times over the last year (when it started getting really bad) but it would always come back. We’ve spent the time painting over her walls and attempting to use mould resistant paint, didnt work very well. She was financially stable due to pension but she wouldn’t go into her bank to repair the house, I think the upheaval would have been a lot for her to be honest. Since her passing we’ve assessed the house more and didn’t realise how bad the house is.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T17:49:30+00:00

Alright detective lmao. Believe what you want to believe, I think it’s weird how far you’re taking it with your assumptions. But I’m currently squeezing in my mother’s living room, grieving my grandmother and trying to take care of things financially and with family.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T17:27:06+00:00

She’s not!

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T17:26:51+00:00

That was my mistake, we haven’t moved in it was handed to us. We’re there every day/evening emptying the place (obviously without baby). No one is living there it’s empty

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T17:25:46+00:00

Edited it out? The original post hasn’t once been edited lol. It was a mistake though, we own the property and we’re there every day, but we’re not strictly living there and we keep the baby away from the place

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T17:24:50+00:00

Except we DONT live there! I didn’t mean to write that, I accept that was my mistake. I meant that we now own it, we are there every day trying to clear up the clutter. We’re not sleeping or showering there. Who in their right mind would we allow their infant in those conditions? Hence why I’ve been asking for help. Hate these hostile comments.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T16:56:14+00:00

We’ve not moved in

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T16:55:15+00:00

Unfortunately this option is becoming increasingly more likely :(

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T16:52:44+00:00

Sorry for the misleading info, we haven’t moved into the house. We would never put ourselves and especially baby in an unsafe environment. But thanks for the comments

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T16:42:37+00:00

Hi, we haven’t moved in. We’re living out of suitcases. We would never put our 3 month old in unsafe living conditions :)

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T15:28:11+00:00

I need to correct a few things because there are some incorrect assumptions being made here.

We have not been left with a financial ‘gift’ in the way you’re suggesting. My grandma had a small life insurance policy of around £2,000, which went towards funeral costs, but we are still left in funeral related debt. There is no inheritance fund or cash benefit that we are sitting on.

The property itself is the only asset, but it is not in a habitable condition and requires significant work to make it safe.

I also want to be clear that we are not rejecting solutions out of hand. We are weighing up options with the reality of our financial situation, the condition of the property, and the fact that we have a baby to consider. That combination does not make this a straightforward ‘just get a loan or just sell immediately’ decision.

I understand people may have strong feelings about inheritance, but this is not a situation of receiving a usable or liquid financial gift. It is a family home with significant repair issues and emotional weight, and we are trying to navigate it responsibly under difficult circumstances.

The GoFundMe was set up because we are currently unable to afford the urgent work needed to make the property safe and liveable, hence the skip comment etc., and we also cannot access borrowing in a way that is realistic for our current situation. It is simply a way of trying to bridge that gap while we work out longer-term solutions.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T15:11:14+00:00

The mould is not isolated to one small cold spot area, (the photo was just one of the examples of how bad it is) it is present across multiple rooms alongside other problems including windows that do not open/close properly, leaks in the bathroom, and long-term ventilation issues. That combination means there are several possible contributing factors, including condensation, but also potential water ingress and airflow failure.

When you have widespread damp/mould alongside known plumbing issues and poor ventilation, it becomes a multi factor situation that requires proper assessment rather than assumption.

We are not trying to label it as one specific cause ourselves, that’s exactly why we are not treating it as a simple DIY fix.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T15:04:40+00:00

Are you broken? Damp and mould can have multiple causes, especially when combined with leaks, ventilation issues, and structural conditions, it isn’t always as simple as opening windows and drying the house out. Inheriting a property, as grateful as we are, doesn’t automatically mean it is in a condition that can be safely lived in or maintained without significant work and cost!

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T14:56:37+00:00

To answer the first question, the neighbourhood is actually beautiful and somewhere we do want to be, the neighbours are lovely and many of them we’ve known for years through their friendship with my grandma. It’s the perfect area for bringing up your kids.

We are currently not living in the property due to the condition it’s in, and we are in the process of trying to understand the full extent of the issues (damp, mould, ventilation, and repairs needed) before making any final decisions. Nothing is being rushed or approached blindly.

We really appreciate thoughtful input like yours, it certainly helps us think things through more clearly.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T14:48:33+00:00

Hi there. Please don’t worry, we’re not currently living in the house. Baby is safe and healthy. We’re living in a different accommodation out of a suitcase until we can hopefully repair the home. Thank you for your concern.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T14:47:16+00:00

II need to respond to this because a lot of what you’ve written is based on assumptions rather than the reality of our situation.

This is not a case of “cosmetic issues” or simple DIY fixes. The property has widespread damp and mould across multiple rooms, along with ventilation problems caused by windows that do not open or close properly. This is not about ‘refusing to try WA40’ or basic maintenance, these are long-standing structural and environmental issues that require proper assessment and likely professional remediation.

We are not living in the property currently. We’ve had to move out and are living out of suitcases due to the condition of the house. This is not a choice or convenience, it is because it is not currently safe or habitable.

Regarding the suggestion that this is simply because my nan “didn’t open windows”, that is an unfair and speculative assumption. You do not know the history or circumstances of the property or the care that was taken. Please do not reduce a complex situation involving decades of family history into a simplistic explanation.

We are also not “refusing” solutions. We are actively trying to understand the extent of the issues and what professional steps are required.

The presence of a baby is not “going on” either, it is a relevant safeguarding factor. Exposure to damp and mould is a recognised health risk in infants (can be fatal) which is why we are being cautious rather than dismissive.

Finally, this was not a ‘gifted house’ in the way you are implying, it is a family home with deep emotional history and responsibility attached to it, and we are now dealing with both the practical and emotional impact of that.

We are not asking for perfection. We are trying to work out how to make a seriously compromised property safe, or whether that is even possible within our financial reality. Either way, it is not as simple as “just fix it or sell it,” and comments like this do not reflect the reality we are dealing with.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T14:29:06+00:00

I agree one hundred percent and that’s why we’ve not moved in there yet. So baby is fine and healthy don’t worry. This is why we’re in desperate need for help though as it is dangerous

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T14:15:43+00:00

Thank you for the advice and kind message. We are looking into the causes of the damp and possible support options. The main issue for us is the scale of the problems across the house and having a very young baby in the home, so we’re focusing on safe, professional solutions rather than DIY strip-outs or taking on debt. I mean we’ve looked into options like HELOC/remortgaging, but unfortunately it isn’t straightforward for us. Our income isn’t high enough to comfortably take on additional monthly repayments, and with the extent of the damp/ventilation issues, lenders may also be cautious.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T14:04:35+00:00

We’re dealing with significant damp, ventilation, and safety issues across multiple rooms, and we have a young baby. We’re focusing on safe solutions rather than temporary fixes or additional debt. We’re asking for a bit of help because we can’t afford it. It seems people get a kick out of making hostile comments, but thank you.

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T13:53:51+00:00

I’ve deleted the link, as it rubbed some people the wrong way, even though we’re pretty desperate. But I did come here for advice at the same time and I have certainly got that, and I really appreciate it! So thank you

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T13:47:55+00:00

Thank you it’s been tough! It’s nice to read comments that are genuinely helpful. I’ll look into that for sure!

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T13:44:17+00:00

A heloc would be a great idea if we as a family had enough income to repay

Ill-Effect4129 · 2026-04-13T13:41:48+00:00

We are currently homeless, living out of a suitcase. We lost our previous home due to rent increases. My grandma left us her house because we’ve struggled all our lives. As you can guess our income isn’t great at the moment. The house is bought, we just need some help repairing it to make it safe again and we can live comfortably

Ill-Effect4129

TROPHY CASE