why not take a builder with you to have a look and advise. Certainly damp would never ever put me off buying a place (this one had rising, falling, dry rot, wet rot) if it had that certain something. Dam can normally be solved and a trusted builder will look at it and tell you why its likley to be there. Is it lower than the ground round it, is there a damproof course thats been breached. has the garden been piled up against it. French drains can be laid, or tanking or several other things, but you need to establish why first.
