Get A Roof Inspection By A Roofing Contractor Before Buying A House With An Old Roof
by William Gerard
If you're house hunting and are having a hard time finding a house you love that's in good shape, you may need to compromise and buy a fixer-upper as long as you have some experience with home improvements. If you're buying your first home, you may want to wait until you find a home already in good shape.
One problem you may run into is a home with a bad or old roof. This should be discovered during the home inspection that's required for your mortgage. That leaves you to decide if you want to buy the home and fix the roof or pass on the house. Consider contacting a local roofing contractor to give you advice. Here are things to consider.
The Type Of Roof Damage Present
The roofing contractor can check the roof from the top and underside to look for damage. Shingles that are worn out from old age aren't as bad as a roof that has water damage and is sagging. If the contractor finds structural damage to the roof, you may want to pass on buying the home since a roof replacement could be expensive.
When A Roof Replacement Should Be Done
Depending on what the home inspector found and reported to your mortgage company and insurance agency, you may or may not have to replace the roof as a condition of getting your mortgage and insurance.
If a roof replacement is required, you might ask the seller to replace the roof. If they decline, that means you'll need to put a new roof on as soon as you buy the house. If the roof is just old and not damaged, you might have time to prepare your finances before you're forced to put on a new roof.
It's also important to get an idea of how much a new roof will cost. The roofing contractor can give you an estimate so you can factor this cost into whether you want to have such a huge expense as soon as you buy a house or not.
Your Comfort Level With Buying A New Roof
As a first-time homebuyer, you'll have a lot to learn about home maintenance. You may feel uncomfortable about buying a new roof first thing. If the roof has a year or two of life left in it as determined by the roofing contractor, you might feel more at ease with making decisions for a new roof by then. The roofing contractor can give you good advice, but ultimately, the choice is up to you and the current state of the market.
If you're in a hurry to get into a new home, then it may be worth it to you to buy a house with an old roof, especially if the seller will come down on the price after seeing the inspection.
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About Me
Do you know how to tell if you have problems with your flashing, loose shingles, or damaged tar pitch? Well, I didn't either until I experienced some of those issues on my own. One day, I realized that my roof was leaking and that I needed to find a solution fast. After contacting a professional roofing company, they were able to solve my troubles and teach me the signs of trouble. I want you to avoid the same types of hassles, which is why my blog is filled to the brim with information about roofing and home ownership. You never know, these tips could really come in handy!