Gain Insight on the Purchase

Buying a house is a big deal.  For most people it’s the single largest purchase they will make in their lifetime, and it’s how the majority of Americans build wealth.  If you’re currently in the process of buying a house, you don’t need us to tell you how long your to-do list will be. 

You’ve got seemingly endless meetings with your bank and real estate agent, so it can be easy to forget about the small things, but something that should never fall to the wayside is having a thorough roof inspection performed by a professional.  A roof inspection will provide you with a wealth of information about the home you are looking to buy and help you make the most informed decisions.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you need to have a professional roof inspection before buying a home.

Better Negotiations

If a roof inspection reveals serious structural problems with the home, you are automatically in a better position to make negotiations with the seller.  One option that is now open to you is to ask the seller to lower their asking price, as once the home becomes yours, you will be responsible for any repairs that need to be done.  This is a great way to offset your out-of-pocket expenses to tackle future roofing problems. 

Another route is to make roofing repairs a condition of your purchase.  This is something that most sellers would consider part of their due diligence and not something that they would want to be potentially liable for in the future.

Either way, a roof inspection will equip you with the knowledge that you need to proceed with the purchase.

Better Future Preparations

A roof inspection provides you with insight into future investments that you’ll need to prepare for in the home that you’re buying.  If the seller has taken good care of the roof, an inspection probably won’t illuminate any pressing or severe damage, but a roofing professional can help you prepare for future expenses.

Say, for example, the shingles on the roof are old, but not so weathered that they will need to be immediately replaced.  A roofing inspection will be able to provide you with a timeline for the repairs that need to be performed in 5, 10, or 20 years time.  This allows you to more comfortably budget for repairs or even replacement.  This knowledge will help you prepare for financial obligations and make the most well-informed decisions in the future.

Better Roof

If roofing and medicine share anything in common, it’s that prevention is always the best cure.  Roofing repairs, especially replacements, can be quite costly.  In fact, the average cost of roof replacement is around $8,000, which is quite a lot of money for most homeowners.  These costs only grow and become more expensive the longer an issue is ignored, and a roof inspection will catch these issues before they move from being a minor annoyance to a catastrophic expense. 

For example, having a patch of shingles replaced isn’t a huge job in and of itself, and isn’t prohibitively expensive either.  However, damaged shingles will let in rainwater, which can lead to wood rot, mold growth, and even roof collapse. 

Don't Let Minor Issues Become Major Ones

Dealing with minor repairs that are revealed by roof inspections will ensure that they never become major repairs.  It’s recommended that you have your roof inspected annually, and there’s no better time to start than with the one performed before you close on your new house.

If you are buying a house and looking for an experienced professional to inspect your roof, don’t wait!  And if you’re ready to have repairs done, we’ll help take care of it so that your new house is ready to truly become your home.