A first-time buyer said he felt betrayed after finding what he suspects were the remains of a cannabis farm in the loft of his new home.

Joe Edgson described finding piles of soil, black mould covering the roof, and cannabis leaves shortly after moving into his house in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

The 25-year-old, who is asthmatic, said he had now been quoted £5,000 to deal with the mould and associated works, a price he said he would “struggle to afford”.

Two surveys – one by the seller, Bellway, and one by Countrywide – failed to identify problems in the attic, he said. Bellway said it sold Mr Edgson the property on the condition he viewed it in person.

Mr Edgson moved into the property, which was not built by Bellway, in October but did not discover the issue until he went into the attic area.

He said: “At first, when I got in there I thought, ‘why is there soil?’

“Then my head hit ropes coming down from the ceiling, and I saw mould covering the felt and insulation on the walls. As an asthmatic, that makes me concerned for my health.”

Mr Edgson said he also found a roof tile had been removed and replaced with a black extraction tube, burn marks on the floorboards, a card measuring pH levels, and a pair of fluorescent blue gloves.

Mr Edgson said one of his main concerns was the mould in the attic, which he suspected was caused by the grow.

He was quoted £5,000, which he said he would struggle to afford, to remove the mould affecting the attic felt, which would include removing the felt, reinstalling roof tiles, and fitting new insulation.

He said: “I can’t believe how much damage [the grow] has caused. The felt needs replacing as it is mouldy, there are cannabis leaves and soil inside the insulation and the whole space needs cleaning.

“It is a really expensive job, you can’t just scrub off the mould – it is a deep-rooted problem.”

He added the mould was something that impacted his health.

“After being in the attic, my chest was tight and it kept me up at night,” he said. “I’ve had asthma my whole life, and nothing impacted me as bad as that.”

Mr Edgson said Bellway carried out its own individual survey on the property, and he paid Countrywide to conduct a Level 2 survey, but neither highlighted any issues with the attic.

A Level 2 survey is designed to flag any visible problems that could affect the property’s value or require repairs, according to the HomeOwners Alliance (HOA).

A spokesperson for the HOA said: “The survey should include obvious signs of damp, mould and roof problems, as these are some of the most common issues surveyors look for.

“However, surveys are visual inspections only. If the loft was inaccessible or the damage was concealed, the surveyor might not have been able to spot it.

“Situations like this do happen, and I wouldn’t be surprised if in this situation, the previous owners attempted to hide the damage in the loft.”

In his contract with Bellway, Mr Edgson said it stated the seller was responsible for removing rubbish from the loft area, and believed either Bellway or Countrywide should pay towards the repairs.

However, Bellway said the home was sold on the condition it was seen and dismissed his complaints.

Mr Edgson said: “Nobody has come to view the property since I reported this, or listened to my concerns.

“I trusted everyone involved when I bought this place. Now, I feel like I’ve been betrayed.”

A spokesperson for Bellway said: “The property in question is a second-hand home which Bellway had accepted in part-exchange. It was not a new property and was not built by Bellway.

“Before Bellway bought the property, a survey was commissioned which included an inspection of the attic area and no issues related to the allegations being made were highlighted. He proceeded with the purchase on that basis.

“Second-hand homes are sold as seen, subject to any surveys the buyer chooses to arrange. We therefore do not consider these claims to have any validity.”

A Countrywide Surveying Services spokesperson added: “Following our second line review of the case, we are confident that the survey was carried out in accordance with the expected standards and scope of a Level 2 survey.

“Should the customer wish to take matters further, they may refer the issue to The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, an independent body that provides impartial dispute resolution services.”

Mr Edgson said he reported what he found to Nottinghamshire Police, but as it was not an active grow, the force said it was unable to investigate.

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