Paying for repairs

swjf1q

So we bought a house a few months ago- yey! 

But there is an issue with the roof that we was not aware of. We don’t have enough money in savings to pay for it but my concern is the longer we leave it the damage is going to get worse. We have been quoted £4000 to repair it. 

Yes we can save, but that will take time. 

But I’m thinking of looking at taking out a loan to get it repaired sooner, but then we would pay more due to the interest and we couldn’t afford to save on top of that. 

The last resort I can think of is the house insurance- the damage is causing a leak in the bathroom roof. 

I guess what I’m asking is
a) is there another way that you can think of? 

does anyone have any suggestions? 

casper_gutman

If this is something like storm damage, and if there was no inherent defect with the roof which contributed to the problem, then the insurance may cover it.

If it's caused by an inherent defect from how the roof was constructed, or an issue that's developed over time due to wear and year and/or a lack of maintenance, then insurance won't help and you're on your own.

Unless you can borrow the money for the repairs interest free, e.g. from a friend or relative, I think borrowing it is likely to be the best option. You'll pay a little bit of interest, but this is nothing compared to the cost of replacing rotten roof timbers or replastering and refurbishing a room severely affected by water ingress over an extended period.

There are many good things about owning your own home in the UK, but unfortunately this is one of the downsides.

Bigphil1474

OP, you say you've been quoted £4k for a roof repair - obviously depends what the repair entails, but that sounds expensive. I've had 2 quotes to replace my entire roof and add insulation, reclad the dormer, refit gutters, soffits etc. and they are between £8k - £10k. Have you got a second opinion?

Sicard

Presumeably you paid for a survey before the purchase. Maybe there's some recourse if the surveyor didn't do their job properly. I would have thought inspecting the roof would have been included in the survey.

twopenny

We don't really know what this damage is.
Is there a chance of a descrption (what did the builder quote for) and if possible photos.
We may be able to suggest temporary fixes or get an idea of how serious it is re urgency..

Brie

I doubt a surveyer would have noted any damage and in any case would have used their "get out of jail card" i.e. "there may be issues with the roof but it can't be inspected easily so you may want to get it checked by a roofer before purchase" or similar.

£4k doesn't sound high to me but check also if it includes things like scaffolding which added about £750 to the price of getting our roof done and had to be paid separately to the scaffolders.  

Can you get the amount added to your mortgage?  Likely that's going to be the best interest rate available.

GDB2222

Scaffolding can be a significant part of the cost, so it can make small jobs seem disproportionately expensive. 

alidai

Why is home insurance the last resort? Surely that should be the first thing to try as it’s the whole point of having it?!

Havealittlefun

You don't mention how old the building is or the roof so I am assuming it may be an older property.
Get a few quotes in, as even if you get a loan there may be some hidden cost not accounted for.  You pay for Home insurance  for exactly these types of works. They may even suggest replacing the entire roof is more cost effective than just a portion.
Yes your premium goes up but at least you know the cost is covered.