Surveyor says New Roof needed - what would you do?

patrick194

Had a Level 3 survey on a 3 bed semi which seemed perfect with no obvious work needed.

Surveyor called on Friday evening after doing the inspection and said the roof is most likely asbestos slates/tiles without any membrane behind it. Some of the tiles are decayed and need replacing and roof is past natural lifespan although still watertight as far as he could tell - loft was packed with stuff.

He said replacement cost would be in tens of thousands -  would have to get actual quotes to know for certain.

When I asked if it needed immediate replacement he asked how long we were intending to live there. At least 3 - 5 years possibly more - he said you might be lucky, you might not. Any future survey would raise same issue.

Anyone know how much a new roof costs?

What would you do in these circumstances?

Voyager2002

patrick194 said:

What would you do in these circumstances?

Run like hell!

Getting a new roof is not just a question of a (large) cash sum. You need to find a reliable roofer and manage the project: it is far more likely to be completed on time and within budget if the roofer has a continuing professional relationship with you. In other words: leave this kind of house for people who are serious about rehabilitating houses, know the trades-people they will need and are regular customers, and know the things to do in order to avoid problems when the job is half done.

Brie

2 bedroom semi had a complete new roof done by a small essentially 1 man band about 10 years back for £4k plus another £700 as I recall for scaffolding.  We'd had another quote from a big firm that was stupid money which I thought was just a brush off as they didn't like the job.  So possibly £10k now but that will depend on where you live too.

Wyndham

It depends where you live, and also how big the roof is. Currently having mine done, and it's a big house, so costing over 20K. We've also had to wait for a good roofer for several months.

BlueVeranda

We had a similar report when buying our current house. We knew due to the age of the house replacing the roof might be a possibility and we knew our vendor wouldn't be interested in having it done before the sale so it was a question of A) pull out B.) see if they'd accept a lower offer or C) proceed as is. As we really wanted the house and they'd already accepted an offer under asking we decided to go ahead at the same price.

A few years later on and we've pulled the trigger on replacing it, but a lot of other houses on the same street with the same age roof aren't being done yet. Our quotes came in between 8k and 15k for reference but obviously your area and the roof itself might be priced differently.

user1977

And bear in mind we've had plenty of examples here of people who have bought with surveys saying the roof (or other items) are "past their natural lifespan", not replaced them, and had no problems. If it's still doing the job, I wouldn't be planning an immediate reroofing.

patrick194

Thanks all. We're in the south east so it's it'll definitely cost more rather than less. The surveyor said tens of thousands so I'm thinking it's gong to be at least £20k. Plus there might be complications in removing and disposing of the asbestos tiles.

It's on a street of about 40 similar semis none of which have new roofs although a few have been patched in places. Not many have changed hands in the last 20 years so they might all be watertight but also haven't been checked over for buyers.

Surveyor said an asbestos roof isn't really expected to last too much over 75 years - these are around 100years old.

We don't want to get involved in that level of work - too much expense and too much trouble but we like the house.

I don't think the seller will be keen to negotiate so it's all a bit tricky.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Is it worth getting someone out to confirm asbestos?

Like you I'd assume asbestos = greater cost and wouldn't fancy that. 

Our roof (basic pitch covering 200sq) cost £25k with Spanish slate but that was 10 years ago, glad we did ours then really, would cost a heck of lot more than that now I'd imagine. 

RHemmings

I would be very tempted to run like hell in this situation, but you will already have money invested in this transaction so it's easy for me to say that. But, I suspect I would run even with my money invested, unless there was a price reduction to pay for at least part of removal by proper professionals. 

BungalowBel

Some friends of ours purchased a house thirty years ago. They were told it needed a new roof. They had some tiles replaced but did nothing else. The roof is still not leaking.

Just a risk you may or may not wish to take.

Noneforit999

Surely the seller negotiating is irrelevant if you 'don't want to get involved in that level of work' anyway?

Chances are, the roof doesn't NEED replacing, especially if the surveyor thinks its watertight and there are no obvious signs of damp upstairs. However, it some point you are going to replace it, even if that't 5-10 years down the line so what is £15k now will likely be £20k then.

If it was a couple of grand, you could save it or borrow it but £20k is a lot so will you have that amount sitting round in 5-10 years time? 

Have you got a big deposit so if the vendor agrees to say £10k off, you can hold enough back to get it done in future?