Mid purchase - roof needs replacing - what would you do?

horsewithnoname

The first house I bought, the survey made it sound like it was about to fall down and I did panic a bit, but I spoke to an older trusted friend who pointed out that the house had managed to stand for best part of 100 years so I’d be unlucky if it fell down just cos I bought it. Eventually I did have a new roof, but never did have it rewired, and it was still there last time I went down that road. As has been said, I think they do try and cover there Rs so err on the side of disaster. If you are able to go and look in the loft, you’ll probably get a fair idea of how imminent a new roof may be. 

northernlass29876

Section62 said:

northernlass29876 said:

Thanks for the clarification. 

Therein lies the issue for me though. I’ve gotta take a leap of faith, buy the house first and then only take a surveyors word AFTER I’ve purchased, on the basis that he is now telling the truth whereas he was only concerned about protecting himself from liability before. 

This is why people were asking you to clarify whether this is a house you are buying and whether you have had a survey done.

You can take the 'bad' stuff from the surveyor's report and try to negotiate with the vendor for them to reduce the price.

Once you own the property you can take a view on whether the work actually needs doing now, or if it can wait. Perhaps with some minor/temporary repairs to actual leaks or other defects.

As you note, the cost of scaffolding is high, and ideally you'll only want to do that once.  Having a full roof replacement now - solely on the basis of reports/advice written/given to aid your negotiating position - isn't necessarily a good approach, which is why diystarter7's advice was poor.

When you become the owner of the property your POV is likely to change.

It is usually better to live in the property for a while, get used to it and find out what else is wrong, before starting major improvements/remediation.  Depending on the property and your circumstances there may be other work (e.g. loft conversion, chimney removal etc) you decide to do, which could be a more appropriate time to redo the roof.

If the roof does need replacing urgently then don't delay.  But don't take reports/advice intended to help you as a buyer as an absolute requirement on you as an owner to carry out work on an urgent basis.  This in essence is what the more experieced/knowledgeable posters have been saying throught the thead.  Find out exactly what you need to do, and how long you've got to do it.  Don't rush to spend money solely on the basis of advice from people who aren't wholly impartial.

Great post @Section62 - the key concern for me is going ahead with the sale and then discovering there’s a leak. That would be a disaster and it’s my biggest worry. 

[Deleted User]

northernlass29876 said:

Section62 said:

northernlass29876 said:

Thanks for the clarification. 

Therein lies the issue for me though. I’ve gotta take a leap of faith, buy the house first and then only take a surveyors word AFTER I’ve purchased, on the basis that he is now telling the truth whereas he was only concerned about protecting himself from liability before. 

This is why people were asking you to clarify whether this is a house you are buying and whether you have had a survey done.

You can take the 'bad' stuff from the surveyor's report and try to negotiate with the vendor for them to reduce the price.

Once you own the property you can take a view on whether the work actually needs doing now, or if it can wait. Perhaps with some minor/temporary repairs to actual leaks or other defects.

As you note, the cost of scaffolding is high, and ideally you'll only want to do that once.  Having a full roof replacement now - solely on the basis of reports/advice written/given to aid your negotiating position - isn't necessarily a good approach, which is why diystarter7's advice was poor.

When you become the owner of the property your POV is likely to change.

It is usually better to live in the property for a while, get used to it and find out what else is wrong, before starting major improvements/remediation.  Depending on the property and your circumstances there may be other work (e.g. loft conversion, chimney removal etc) you decide to do, which could be a more appropriate time to redo the roof.

If the roof does need replacing urgently then don't delay.  But don't take reports/advice intended to help you as a buyer as an absolute requirement on you as an owner to carry out work on an urgent basis.  This in essence is what the more experieced/knowledgeable posters have been saying throught the thead.  Find out exactly what you need to do, and how long you've got to do it.  Don't rush to spend money solely on the basis of advice from people who aren't wholly impartial.

Great post @Section62 - the key concern for me is going ahead with the sale and then discovering there’s a leak. That would be a disaster and it’s my biggest worry. 

Nobody has told you there is a leak. Nobody has told you the roof is sagging or the timbers rotted. By all means, do due diligence. But, if its not leaking or falling in, I personally would not be paying for works. In my house, if i get a leak, i will be vigilant and i will have it repaired.

northernlass29876

Just re-bumping this with the following question:

Is it reasonable to request access to the roof again before exchange so that either myself or a surveyor can see it? By that time it would have been 4-5 months since the initial survey was completed.

EssexHebridean

Have you had a second viewing already? Allowing for the timescale of the process, it might be reasonable to ask whether you are able to view again to take some measurements etc, and perhaps a quick look into the roof space might be possible at the same time? At least then you’d be able to look for any signs of daylight.