Nail Sickness

mzdijjmb01

Hi just looking for some advice/ other peoples experience.

I am a FTB and had an offer accepted on a property. As a result of my Homebuyers survey my mortgage company requested a further survey of the roof.

This survey has highlighted that the roof is nearing the end of its useful life, and the surveyor says the roof is suffering from Nail Sickness.

He hasn't been able to see the underside of the roof as there is no access to the Eaves, the attic is all boxed in so dont know if there is a problem with the timbers.

The surveyor has recommended looking to replace the roof.

Looking around the street and nearby almost all the houses have relatively new roofs (all the houses are built around the same time), so I am incline to agree with the surveyor.

I have spoken to the estate agent but the vendor is unwilling to reduce the price or consider doing work to the roof.

I dont want to find my self in a situation in the future where I need find money to completely replace the roof and from what I have been informed by the surveyor and looking at nearby properties this is a posibility

Has anyone expereince of this kind of situation?!

xylophone

If he won't reduce the price and you want the house then you'll have to increase your mortgage to finance the new roof if required?

G_M

Or put savings aside for a year or two in case the roof need replacing.


Does it look in sound condition?

* Are there lots of missing slates/tiles (or broken ones lying on the ground)?
* any sign of multiple slates having been replaced eg odd ones that don't match?


If not, chances are it will last a few years. It's only if they are actually coming loose that you need panic.

pramsay13

We were in a similar situation when we bought the house.
We were told by the surveyor that the roof was nearing the end of its life (was put up around 1900).
We got roofing contractors to quote and got quotes for immediate repair work needing done and to replace full roof within a certain number of years.
We used the quotes for this (along with quotes for damp work etc.) to negotiate with the seller.
Once we bought the house we spent a few hundred on immediate roofing works to stop leaks etc. and then saved for a new roof.
In the end we got 10 years out of the existing roof before having to completely replace.
If it lasts us 100 years it will be money well spent.

Cakeguts

So if you want this house you will need to save up for a new roof. If you don't want to save up for a new roof you will need to find a different house.

mzdijjmb01

There are quite a few slates that are slipped and can see where they have strapped slipped tiles a fair few tiles to the roof. Also there is staining in the attic room where water has got in.

Its more that nearly all the house on the street have relatively new roofs, thats making me think I will need to look at it sooner rather than later if i buy.

Thank you for your replies though very helpful.

ReadingTim

Your only negotiating tool with the vendor is to threaten to pull out due the roof issues, and point out that other buyers' surveys are likely to identify the same issue, causing them to pull out too.

So, if the vendor wants to move, they're going to have to reduce the price to take into account the cost of a new roof - it's only a matter of when: reduce now and you buy, or reduce later with someone else, if anyone else even appears. Their call.

In the meantime, get looking at other places, and make sure the EA knows that's what you're doing - the prospect of them losing their fee ought to get them to put a bit of pressure on the vendor too...

(That said, roofs don't last forever, so unless you buy a new build or recently re-roofed place, any older house, say 50+ years old, could possibly need a new roof during your time of ownership of it, it's just part of the 'running costs' of any property, like new tyres on a car etc)