The Importance of Roof Reports When Purchasing a Property

Most homebuyers are excited to get into their new home and experience the new space they get to enjoy. But, as the old saying goes ‘only fools rush in’ and that stands true in the case of property purchasing in the absence of due diligence such as detailed roof reports surveys, which can give you a comprehensive in-depth analysis of the roof and fabric of the property you are considering purchasing.

But The Home Report Doesn’t Mention Much In The Way of Roof Issues

That is a common finding within home reports, but unfortunately, the information found within the home report isn’t always an accurate reflection of what is actually the case. The main issue with standard home reports is that they are almost always conducted from within the property and from ground level. Home report surveyors very rarely, if ever, venture up onto the actual roof. Clearly, neither position provides a reasonable vantage point to assess the roof accurately and its condition. Consequently, we frequently see the same phrases repeated within most home reports, such as ‘flat roofs require above average maintenance, ongoing repairs should be anticipated’ or ‘the roof coverings are of advanced age, the opinion of a qualified roofing contractor should be sought’. These comments are attributed to most roofs, new or old – not very helpful!

The Roof Looks Fine, I Don’t Really Want to Pay For Roof Reports When It May Be Unnecessary

This is a fair point, however, the reality is, this is a huge gamble on a buyer’s behalf, particularly if there is scant detail in the home report, as it amounts to ‘blind buying’ whereby the buyer is very possibly inadvertently inheriting a huge roofing bill which would only become evident after the purchase, once the various issues manifest, at which point there is absolutely no recourse whatsoever – homes in Scotland are purchased very much on a ‘sold as seen’ basis – therefore your due diligence needs to be done in advance of concluding missives.

Point Taken, I’ll Commission a Roof Report. What Might Be Uncovered and How Do I Use It To My Advantage

The first thing to say is that you really can’t lose very much, regardless of what may be discovered; in the event that we give the roof and associated details a clean bill of health, you have essentially bought peace of mind, in knowing that your roof is in good order and is likely to remain that way for the long term.

On the flip side, if the survey identifies a significant number of issues with the roof, you are armed with the information you need to then make an informed decision on how best to proceed. One such way of utilising the roof report to your advantage, is by using it as leverage with the selling agents, via your solicitors, by sharing the detail and budget costs within the report, with a view to having the purchase price discounted to reflect the value of the work required, or as close to that sum as possible.

That’s not to say that every seller will acquiesce and simply reduce the cost – some may stand firm – but you do have something to work with, which most sellers will at least acknowledge and be willing to negotiate, to a degree, on. We have saved buyers tens of thousands of pounds in some cases, with the power of our reports, and all of them would tell you that the price of the survey was a drop in the ocean compared to the cost savings they made with the report to hand.

Pre-purchase roof reports are a no-brainer in almost every scenario with the exception of newly, or recently built, homes. You may be surprised with the reasonable price of our reports, and the subsequent sway they may have in your property purchasing negotiations…