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...if I'm planning on moving within the next year!?
The roof isn't collapsing or anything but the membrane has gone and there are leaks and moisture is getting in. So the whole lot needs coming off and re-slating.
It'll cost us 10k + and it was meant to be done in April but our builder keeps pushing it back. So we're now in the position of he may not turn up for months more and if we started with another builder we'd be at the back of their queue!
The question really - If you were buying a house would you buy one that needs a new roof? Or would it be a complete turn-off? 🤔
We've had it valued at £250k 'as-is', but people have said a new roof won't add any value - so spend 10k or don't and put that 10k into the next house?
Unless it's in a borderline area in terms of how easy it is to sell. If it's in a desirable area, definitely not.
A new roof may make it more saleable compared to other local properties. Depends how buoyant the market is in your area, around here its still flat out.
But no, I'd leave it for the next owner if it doesn't affect market value and you're still likely to sell.
Someone will feel good about knocking you down a bit because it needs the roof doing, so I'd leave it and expect a bit off the sale price. It certainly won't add 10K to the sale price.
If in a good area for selling I would put it on the market for £10k more than you want to sell it for. If buyers survey shows up roof repairs needed then you can knock £10k off and look like the good guy. Winner winner.
I’d leave it to the new owners. If nothing else the disruption caused by having the scaffolding up and roof off is one I’d rather someone else have instead of living through it yourself only to then move. As above be prepared to knock some money off if raised and use the money on the new house.
If I were buying a house, it needed a new roof, and that was ALL was required, it wouldn't put me off. I would however get my own guys to quote for it and would ask for that of the asking price.
In a way it's easier to approach it that way. You can get your house on the market now @ £240k and state that it's £10k under market value due to needing a roof. You're not out of pocket. The buyer can line trades up to be stripping tiles off the minute they get the keys (two week job, lead times aside) and they get a £250k house with a nice new roof.
Winchester, nice cold pint etc.
the flip-side of that is that if there are 2 very similar houses, I'd definitely go with the one that wasn't going to need scaffolding up in as soon as I moved in!If nothing else the disruption caused by having the scaffolding up and roof off is one I’d rather someone else have instead of living through it yourself only to then move.
big if though... my first thought would be, right the roof is falling down, what else is wrong with this badly maintained potential deathtrap 🤔If I were buying a house, it needed a new roof, and that was ALL was required
pretty ****-ish planning on not mentioning it unless someone notices though, if you know 100% that it needs doing 😬 (although from OP sounds like it should be really obvious unless they go to lengths to hide it!)If buyers survey shows up roof repairs needed then you can knock £10k off and look like the good guy.
sold my mums house a few years ago. it needed a new roof - the felt had totally rotten due to not enough overlap of the tiles when the house was originally built, so new felt, new tiles and not doubt some replacement of roof timber. Not leaking but obviously in need of being addressed. Quotes were around £6k ash. That was what the buyers asked to be knocked off the asking price, so you're going to pay for it either way...either by doing it yourself or knocking off the price of the job from the asking price of the house. Guess it depends which is the most convenient and possibly cheapest options for you.
Apologies for the hijack but I could do with some advice as well if no one minds.
I had a new roof put on, roofer was a cowboy, leaks like a sieve. Needs to be done again. Been to court so no chance of getting the cowboy back and I wouldn't anyway because every time he came back, he only did yet more ineffective work.
Dispute with neighbours over chimney stack - solicitors involved so would have to declare.
Got a new roofer booked in for the autumn. Cost is £8kish (can use slates again).
Would you get it done or not?
I live in a very rainy area and worry about the damage another winter with a leaky roof would do if it doesn't get done.
Edited to say: I also want to sell
If in a good area for selling I would put it on the market for £10k more than you want to sell it for. If buyers survey shows up roof repairs needed then you can knock £10k off and look like the good guy. Winner winner.
Is the sensible answer to me.
big if though… my first thought would be, right the roof is falling down, what else is wrong with this badly maintained potential deathtrap 🤔
It's a 1900's house - there's [i]always[/i] something that needs doing!! 🙂
And we'd 100% tell any prospective buyer about the roof. From the outside it looks fine, but as soon as you stick your head in the attic you can see the areas of damp.
All the houses on our road have sold within a week during the past year. We have views that make people go wow when they get in the garden.
I think we'll keep the builder booked-in, but if anything comes on the market we like the look of we'll put it up for sale.
The pilot
Check overlap requirements for the slates, roof pitch and facing directions, all to do with rainfall
Iirc builing regs req more pinning than before, how they check who knows
It sounds as if you need scaffold errecting. New membrane, new batterns, more fixings, maybe greater overlap of existing tiles. Not cheap, sorry.
Thanks singletrackmind
Had it surveyed and the overlap is ok.
It's all the abutments that are causing the problems and because it's been so long - Covid, trying to get someone else to do it post cowboy and because they are so busy, neighbours messing me about - it now means some of the sarking needs replacing.
I think I am going to get it done because, unlike OP's situation, I think the added complexity of mine might put people off.
No I would sell it as it is and price accordingly. If someone really wants the house that wont put them off, if it ticks all the boxes in other ways.
Just remember that a new roof needs building control sign off & will therefore need to meet modern standards which might in itself be a ballache you don't want?
^^^^^ Not always. Depends on the local authority.
The question really – If you were buying a house would you buy one that needs a new roof? Or would it be a complete turn-off? 🤔
I would, and have, people see it as a massive job/bill so it whacks a lump off the asking price.
The membrane is not the problem, most older roofs don't have one, you need a slater, they will make it watertight and tell you if there is any damage to the timber below, I'd avoid builders that can't phone a roofer for you.
Not doing the roof might reduce the number of first time buyers, or those at the limits of mortgage borrowing/low deposits being interested in the house.
It is might be easier for a FTB to borrow a further £10k on a mortgage to buy a house with it already done, rather than using £10k cash from their deposit.
Probably more of a consideration if selling a 2 bed terrace rather than an 8 bed detached.
The roof isn’t collapsing or anything but the membrane has gone and there are leaks and moisture is getting in. So the whole lot needs coming off and re-slating.
if it's been tiled properly it shouldn't need a membrane eg the Victorians didn't have membranes and their roofs lasted 100+ years without leaking.
It's madness not to a put a membrane on if you re-slate/tile. I'm guessing the Victorians didn't have membranes available to them which is why they didn't use them. Also, I think Victorian roofers would be a lot more skilled than many people doing the job today.
Wether the Victorians or previous builders did their job properly or not the roof leaks so it needs to be fixed! 🙂
Wether the Victorians or previous builders did their job properly or not the roof leaks so it needs to be fixed! 🙂
If you have slates missing it will leak, if you have a few slates missing you will have several leaks, they do come out and need replaced as regular maintenance, if there is something worse going on the roofer will tell you, it's probably just that, bout £100 but I'll do it for the £10K if you are desperate.
How did you get that smiley? finding one of those here is harder than fixing slates!
When we bought our house it had some damp issues that needed to be fixed and some other bits and pieces.
While it's not as much as an issue doing work on a house you've just moved into it did affect our thought process and offer. If you say it'll cost £10k to do the roof I'd still price in the hassle.
There's also a risk element which we kept in mind - what other costs will be incurred as a result of the work, will any other surprises be found?
That said, we offered asking price* and the house never even made it onto right move. There were other interested parties and we'd lost one other property nearby on best and final offers (at 10% over asking). Desirable area with limited houses.
Agree on 1900s properties though. Most of our street is terraces from this time. Like the Forth Bridge for the local builder.