Buying a home is an exciting yet scary time. There are checklists and deadlines that must be met. Your future home’s roof will protect you, your family, and all of your belongings. With this in mind wouldn’t you like the peace of mind that it is in great shape.
Mortgage companies require a home inspection before lending money. The home inspector comes out and goes through a checklist. Most buyers realize this is an important step in the home buying process. Many tend to overlook the importance of having a professional inspect the roof of that home. There are several reasons why you shouldn’t skip a professional roof inspection when buying a house.
Expert roofing advice
Roofs, like most everything, have a shelf life. A poorly maintained roof may need to be replaced soon even though it is only five years old. A well maintained ten year old roof may have five or ten more years of life ahead of it. You cannot use the age of the roof as the entire basis of determining when it needs to be replaced. An expert roof inspector can tell you if those curled up shingles or minor gaps in the flashing have caused severe water damage to the structure. Normally, a general home inspection will only take a superficial look at the attic and roof, while an experienced roof inspector will go through the attic and across the roof in great detail. They will note every problem and repair that needs to be made and the impact it has on your potential home.
First Out Roofing can provide a roofing inspection as part of your overall home inspection, so that you don’t end up with a costly repair bill soon after you purchase your home.
A roof inspection can help during negotiations
Having a good idea of required roofing repairs or related structural damage gives you better leverage when you negotiate the price of the home and the conditions of the sale. If the home inspector’s report says the roof has several years of life left, the seller may prorate the value of the roof, leading to a seemingly reasonable decrease in the home’s sale price to offset this. Whereas, if you have a detailed report on the state of the roof, you can argue that the entire roof needs to be replaced soon and that the price of the home should be reduced to offset the cost of the repairs or that the seller should take care of the roof replacement before closing. Either way, you aren’t buying a home based on a basic assessment only to be hit with a major repair bill after closing. Most home warranties do not cover this sort of thing – it will pay for an AC compressor that goes out, but not for prior roof damage.
Don’t forget to get your roof inspection
Roof damage can cause costly structural damage you don’t want to deal with when buying a home. Standard home inspections required by the mortgage company are not thorough enough to give you an accurate assessment of the roof. A First Out Roofing inspector will review your home before you buy to possibly save you thousands after you buy.
