Home inspections are stressful. A good one can give prospective homebuyers the peace of mind they need to sign on the dotted line. A bad one can sink a home sale in seconds flat. Roofing issues are some of the most commonly reported by home inspectors, especially in a climate like Georgia’s.
If your home inspection turned up a bad roof report, what should you do? Whether you’re the buyer or the seller, Accent Roofing offers advice you can take to the bank.
IF YOU’RE THE SELLER:
First things first: don’t panic! No good buyer’s agent on the planet would let a buyer “leave money” on the table by not asking for something based on the results of a home inspection. Unless you’re selling your house “as-is,” you should expect some complaints.
The next thing you’ll want to do is try and understand the severity of the issues reported in the inspection. “Roofing problems” can cover a wide variety of issues, from a missing shingle or two to a totally rotten underlayment. Either way, you’re going to want to bring in a pro of your own.
Your best course of action is to hire your own professional roofer for a second opinion. Remember that home inspectors are not professional roofers! Just because they think something’s seriously wrong with your roof doesn’t mean there is. The home inspector technically works for the buyer; you need a professional in your corner.
Once your roofer gives you the scoop, you have options. You can choose to fix the roof on your own dime, or you can offer the buyer a “credit” for the repairs. You also have the option of ignoring inspection and your roofer’s repair advice but be forewarned that anything you find out during the inspection process becomes a “material fact,” which means you have to reveal it to the next buyer who comes along should your current contract fall through.
For most people, choosing to repair the roof is usually less costly than forking over a credit to buyers. For some sellers, though, like those who’ve already moved out of the home or those who need an entirely new roof, giving the buyers money off the transaction makes more sense than going through the trouble of the repairs themselves.
IF YOU ARE THE BUYER
There’s nothing more disheartening then getting a bad inspection report when you’re excited to buy a house! Roofing problems, particularly wood rot, leaks, and/or gutter decay are some of the most common issues inspectors see when looking at the exterior of a house.
If the roofing issues are relatively minor, like some bent flashing or a few crooked shingles, it’s probably worth it just to deal with it once you move in. There’s one exception to that rule: If the rest of the inspection report also reveals a lot of “minor” issues, the house in question might be in a state of slight-but-building disrepair.
If you’ve got any reason to suspect the roofing problems are anything major, it’s worth it to bring in an experienced roofer to have a look. Remember that inspectors aren’t roofers and that they aren’t trained to see what’s wrong – and what’s not wrong! – with a roof. A professional roofer can give you the nitty gritty details and provide you with an accurate quote to repair the issue.
Having an accurate picture of what it’s going to cost to fix the home’s roof (whether you choose to do so now or to wait until you move in) is helpful when deciding whether or not to buy. And if the roofer tells you a new roof is just a few years away? You can use that information to negotiate, too.
The state of a home’s roof shouldn’t be a secret and it shouldn’t come as a surprise to either buyers or sellers during a transaction.
Do you need help clarifying a bad roofing inspection report?
Accent Roofing in Georgia has helped thousands of home buyers and sellers make informed decisions.
Call us at 1-770-769-1808
