rot in roof - any ideas of costs/getting quotes

emujuice

hi
Results of the survey say there is significant form of rot in the main roof of the concrete tiled 1970s house we want to buy. The seller has said he'll take it off the market if it's going to be expensive to repair. he might just be threatening - i'm not sure. but it's empty and I don't think he'll have much of a mortgage on it at the moment, so not in a big hurry to sell (but we're in a big hurry to move in)

Just wondering if anyone know's much about all this - is it likely the whole roof wants doing? or just some timbers and felting replaced. it's quite localised, so we're not too worried, but the roofer i just talked on the phone was saying if it's leaking there's a big problem!!

Help and advice is much appreciated!

Caroline

poppysarah

ooo let's see.

Roof. Retiled - takes a few days and involves you having no roof for maybe 2-4 days. Perhaps longer if they start on a friday.
Ok but not in winter, or wind or snow or other bad weather.
Anywhere between £2-4k I guess. but old tiles can be recycled and you get money back but you will have to OK match new tiles with building control I suspect.

Roof timber needs redoing - will take a lot longer - be more expensive too.

Rot needs cutting right out which sounds expensive.

Ask builder for quote for each - he needs to know how big the roof is etc

emujuice

Thanks poppysarah - you're being very helpful today

poppysarah

emujuice wrote: »

Thanks poppysarah - you're being very helpful today

Thank you!

We lived with the roof redone last year and tbh it wasn't completely horrific but I wouldn't do it again if I could avoid it. The weather can turn quickly and then you're left listening to the wind ripping off the covering the builders put under the tiles.

Watched neighbours get done and they took such different amounts of time - one was nearly two weeks for just a retile. Others were two days all in.

If the roof has leaked then are ceilings damaged too?

You could buy it but not move in right away until major work is done on roof. Is that possible (renting now? or stay with family?)

The decision needs to take into account whether in 6 months time the house will still be for sale and at a reduced price.

mlz1413

get 3 quotes if the place is empty and EA will give keys to tradesman then it shouldn't take too long. Or try and be there to talk to each tradesman. Price really depends on problem and size of roof as to price.

My terrace house had a re-roof, the roof over 3rd bed is lower than on main of house and there is a small area over bathroom too so scaffolding was extensive around house but price was £2.5k, I thought quite reasonable.

But if the roof no this is leaking but there are no missing tiles then it could be a major problem as it may have leaked from new (40 yrs) and be a build problem.

You really need some expert advise before continuing with this purchase, if vendor is playing hard ball that is upto him, but please get some quotes before going any further.

emujuice

thanks all.
So far I've got one guy coming into look at it. Talking to him he suggests that if it's leaking then there's a problem and the roof might want replacing. However, it's only in one corner and the felt is torn, however there is no sign of water ingress to the ceiling below. All very confusing. the rot is quite severe in the affected timbers,but not many are affected.
Sigh, will have to see what the roofer says. But the survey suggests getting a damp/rot person in, but when I've talked to them they say I need a roofer!
Sigh

poppysarah

You have to cut back beyond rot - which might mean stripping out ceilings and that's a horrid job.

You need perhaps a builder who does roofs. It is hard getting quotes for work when it's not your house though, and you'd want a quote thats valid for at least 4 months - for time for sale to go through and you to ask them to start.

ken_and_dot

Go into the loft and look at the roof from underneath. Unless the house is very old the roofing felt should be ok. Look to see where to water is getting in, possibly around the chimney, and how much timber is damaged to the point it needs replacing. I would be very surprised if the whole roof needed replacing. There should be no problem just repairing a localised area damaged by water. Work is slowing down in the building industry so beware a tradesman talking the problem up just to get extra work. Matching the tiles isn't a building regs problem. Providied they are the same profile and interlock with the existing you can use whatever colour you want.

neas

Just walk away if he is threatening to take off market... He should reduce price accordingly...

emujuice

thanks guys, having talked to the vendor again, who's been up to look at the roof (and to get rid of the wasps nest) he says the damage is where the flue was taken out, which had been leaking before that was removed - so presumably it's all connected to that - which is better in a way - since we may know why it's happened.
he's been pretty resonable so far and we've said unless the damage is going to cost more than £2000 to repair we're not going to ask him to reduce by more than that, as that is what the valuation is short.
Seem to still be getting on ok.
roofer is coming in the morning, so we'll see what he says. We've already got the key to the place as the vendor gave it us last week. like I say - he's pretty reasonable!

emujuice

Right, well the roofers have been and it's not very good

The rot looks to be dry rot and pretty severe and in a fairly large area. They're not the specialists and have given me a number of someone who is, but they say it can easily spread to the whole roof in a matter of weeks given the right conditions. eek.
To repair the roof (felting etc...) scaffolding to get up there is going to be in the region of £2500, and if we wanted the whole roof £4000-5000 - which might be sensible once they're there!

Concerning the flat roof - they don't think it's right and wants bitumen asphalting and tiles on top. Around £1700 - but again it's not them who'd do it.

These really are an honest company, have been going for 3 generations (I pointed out they know my grandad). And they give a fair price. so i believe them.

Sigh, so that £5000-6000 with out considering electrics, boiler, new kitchen. Just to get it to where we thought it was really. I don't think the vendor will come down that far.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
So annoyed. Why can't it just have nothing wrong with it. Grrrr
Nothing else on the market at £150,000 that we like.