Dream home might have huge issue

flimsier

Long story short:

Chain is complete with three purchases. Our buyers want to exchange any day.

We got a buildings survey on our DREAM HOME. It came back today. The roof is screwed. 5 years max, assume it needs replacing, and probably the timbers. It sounds serious. We went over budget for our dream home.

No-one does quotations on these things for prospective homes (for good reason - they don't think they are getting the business). What do we do? I assume short term we ask the solicitor to clarify the legal things, and the estate agent to clarify the things that are just going to cost money?

Is there step by step guide anywhere? I'm so worried we're going to have to give up the house (no need to reply to say we should if it comes back costing so much; I know that).

davidmcn

What exactly does the survey say? They often sound worse than they actually are. Hardly unknown for surveyors to say something has a max lifespan of 5 years, and 5 years later the next buyer's surveyor says the same thing...

G_M

flimsier wrote: »

Chain is complete with three purchases. Our buyers want to exchange any day.Exchange if and when you are happy and ready. Don't be pressured.

We got a buildings survey on our DREAM HOME. It came back today. The roof is screwed. 5 years max, assume it needs replacing, and probably the timbers. It sounds serious.Quote the exact wording. We can then comment.

No-one does quotations on these things for prospective homes (for good reason - they don't think they are getting the business).

There are people here, or on the 'in my home' board, or DIYnot forum, who can give good ballpark costs for a new roof if you give details of the size, shape and construction of the roof. Ideally with photo.

What do we do? I assume short term we ask the solicitor to clarify the legal things, Yes but this is not legal. Unless you change the agreed purchase price - then you simply inform the solicitor
and the estate agent to clarify the things that are just going to cost money? NO! Estate agent is not qualified for this and anyway has only one matter motivating him: to pursude you o complete the sale.
Plus who is paying him? You or the seller.......?

Is there step by step guide anywhere?
Lots. Whole books on the subject (free at the library).
Or use google or duckduckgo

I'm so worried we're going to have to give up the house (no need to reply to say we should if it comes back costing so much; I know that).

Don't make a decision till you understand the issues properly

Fosterdog

You will find a roofing company who will give you a quote, what you may not be able to find is a company that will give you a free quote considering there is very little intention of you using them for the job as you do not even own the house yet.

Pay for a quote and it's worth their time coming out to look at the house, although bare in mind they could either do the same as the surveyor has most likely done and overestimate how bad/urgent it is in the hopes that you will still buy and then use them for the Johor they could completely underestimate how bad it is, you go ahead and purchase and when you use them to actually complacent the job they suddenly find a lot more wrong and the costs go up.

Surveyors claiming a roof needs changing in the next five years is a pretty common one, they say each type of roof only has x number of years life expectancy even though the roof may still be good for many years after this or may only need some minor repairs to keep it in good condition.

Bossypants

For what it's worth, on my house before this one, the surveyor (in Augus of that year) specifically called me after he'd been round to warn me that the roof 'wouldn't last another winter' and needed a full replacement. I went ahead anyway, and had a roofer round to replace a few loose tiles. Four years and a sale later, that old roof is still there and perfectly fine. The roofer who came to do the tiles told me he didn't know what the surveyor was on about, and that it is next to impossible even for an experienced roofer to predict with any accuracy when a roof will 'fail'.

AdrianC

The survey we got on our last place (Victorian) said something similar.

In the 12 years we lived there, we replaced a couple of slipped tiles (cheap and quick), and a bit of leading around the chimney.

Over that time, we also had all the plaster off the inside of the roof (upstairs was in the roof). There was absolutely nothing wrong with the structure and timbers. It didn't have sarking felt - roofs didn't use to. There was decades left in it.

The buyer's replaced the roof. The house has lost a lot of character, and looks really bland now. True, not just that one change - he's murdered it in a lot of ways. <shrug> His house.

JuzaMum

My house was built in 1905 and still has the original roof. When we bought it the surveyors report said it needed replacing in the next five years. We have been here 15 years now and it still works although we are planning to get it done soon(ish).

Homersimpson

As the posted above have said, what exactly has the surveyor said about the roof?


There are three common problems,



1. The nails holding the tiles/slates might have failed (more of a problem with slates and tiles which don't have an inbuilt 'hook' on them to hold them on.


2. The timbers may be rotten, however, if this is the case on mass then there is usually a reason for this as roofs tend to be well ventilated and don't rot badly (mine was reslated 10 years ago and all the timber was and still is perfect, it was built in 1921). Sometimes people block the eaves ventilation when they insulate the roof causing issues.



3. The tiles/slates have started to break upm this is happening on my mums house and the tiles were made in 1934. The roof is still good but small pieced of tile are starting to fall into the gutters so we expect to re roof it in the next 10 years.


As mentioned above it would be worth paying a roofing company to have a look and give a quote and if you are still concerned then reduce your offer on the property accordingly.


If the roof is genuinely in a bad way then any other buyer is likely to find the same.


How old in the property? I would expect a properly built roof to last 80-100 years based on what I have seen. The only reason I needed to have my roof replaced was that the nails had failed and someone had turnerised the roof (covered it in hessian and bitumen) and it looked awful.


How big is the roof and how high is the property? I reroofed a two storey house with a friend of mine and it took a couple of days to strip it, felt and batten and then a couple of days to retile and a further day to finish off.


When my house was done it took the guys around 6 days but there was a lot of slate cuts required.

vw100

Surveyors like to play it safe and will put down things that could be a problem down the line. They rather put it in the report than not put it in at all and then later have to deal with the repercussions of it.

If the roof looks sound, and currently no leaks, maybe the odd tile has slipped or needs replacing that's normal and a simple task.

jbainbridge

Phone the surveyor and talk it over with them.

What's going to change over the next five years? Maybe it'll last 10 .. 15 .. who knows?!

Brodiebobs

We purchased a house in need of work and the severest work ran to a few pages, however the lender didn't have an issue and there is a fair amount of a*** covering in the surveyors report as they don't want to get sued.

If you don't know a friendly roofer or builder that would have a look for you and your that worried pay someone to quote for you, but as someone else mentioned bare in mind they may also exaggerate the need for the work to be done as they get the job.

An example i use is our first house, survey picked up extensive damp and recommended a specialist look. We as FTB panicked and got a 'specialist' in who we paid to look and he quoted about £2,000 to put in a damp proof course.

We tried to negotiate purchase price but couldn't and went ahead with purchase anyway. We then saved the money to get the damp proof done and contacted said specialist the company had gone bust, we got someone else in who advised it was the pointing at street level, which we got done for about £150.

Sold 4 years later and the buyers survey didn't raise any issues.