Moisture content sills terraced house?

[Lillesson]

I'm interested in a row house from the late 70s. Classic concrete slab on ground. The sellers have conducted an inspection where holes were made and moisture content was measured in the wall plates, both exterior walls and partition walls. The result was 23.6% and 19.7%, thus clearly above the threshold for microbial growth at 17%.

How serious is this issue? The inspector naturally recommends an extended investigation of the entire ground floor. The realtor says there is no unusual smell and that this is mostly of the "good to know" nature. The sellers do not intend to delve further into the matter. My immediate feeling is that this is somewhat trivialized by the realtor and sellers. With the above values, won't this relatively soon become a problem requiring extensive renovation and wall plate replacement?

 

[varpan1]

Simple, don't buy this house! Just move on. Unfortunately.
Next advice is, avoid houses from between 1950-1985, so you avoid a lot of construction and material choice problems. Buy either a relatively modern house, or a solid house from 1920 that has proven to be well-built and preserved for 100 years. However, avoid houses that have been renovated and extended repeatedly in several stages, as mixing construction techniques recklessly can cause the house to risk mold issues.

The simplest is really to buy a half-new (around the --00s) house, then you get a second-hand price, but not more expensive than an old shabby 70s house with embedded foul-smelling pressure-treated wood, uninsulated foundations, soaking wet stinking sills, asbestos, high radon levels, poor ventilation - and everything else that comes with it. It's completely foolish to buy such crappy houses when you can get properly built houses for the same money.

 

[Lillesson]

Simple, don't buy this house! Just move on. Unfortunately.
The next advice is to avoid houses from between 1950-1985 to avoid a lot of technical and material problems. Either buy a relatively modern house, or a solid house from 1920 that has proven to be well-built and has survived well-preserved for 100 years. However, avoid houses that have been renovated and expanded multiple times in several batches, as different building techniques are often mixed wildly and the house risks getting moldy from that.

The easiest is actually to buy something semi-new (around the 2000s), as you get a second-hand price but not more expensive than an old shabby 70s house with stinky pressure-treated wood, uninsulated foundation, smelly damp sills, asbestos, high radon levels, poor ventilation - and everything else that comes with it. It's completely crazy to buy such crappy houses when you can get sensibly built houses for the same money.

Thanks for the answer! No, I had actually already dropped the idea of that house before this post. I'm trying to form an impression of the extent of moisture problems in these houses. After all, there are many row houses built in the 70s-80s around the country with risk constructions that many live in. However, I have no sense of what to expect, if elevated moisture levels are "normal" in these houses and whether everyone sooner or later starts projects to replace the sills.

 

[varpan1]

Thanks for the response! No, I had actually already dropped the idea of that house before making this post. I'm trying to get an understanding of the extent of moisture issues in these houses. After all, there are many townhouses built in the 70s and 80s around the country with risk constructions that many people live in. However, I don't have a sense of what to expect, if elevated moisture levels are "normal" in these houses and if everyone eventually starts projects to replace the wooden sill.

They're crappy houses, plain and simple. There are a few exceptions, individually architect-designed houses then. Avoid these houses and you'll avoid a lot of problems. Most of them also lack reasonable ventilation. Many times I've slept as a guest in various old houses and closed the door to the bedroom for some privacy, only to wake up after a few hours with very poor, stuffy, and warm air in the room. I don't understand how people can sleep in such an environment every night, but I guess you get used to it if you've never experienced the fresh air that comes from normal ventilation.