Post Inspection - Roof issues. (disclosures, comparables, price, property)
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Hi Guys,
First time homebuyer here. We are under contract for an older house built in the 60s and just had an inspection done last weekend. The seller is a relo company and hence no disclosures were made, except the disclosure that the original seller had made to the relo company (hope that made sense).
We knew going in that the kitchen and HVAC needed to be updated and factored that into the price.
No major issues were found during the inspection like structural, rot, termite etc. However, the roof was found to me much older than disclosed (19 years vs 12 years), had some damaged shingles and the inspector and improper flashing.
Here is the exact statement,
Quote:
"The roof surface is older and in advance stages of wear, (granular loss, widened keyways) and prone to
leakage. It is nearing the end of its designed life expectancy. Future replacement should be budgeted and
anticipated."
"Several courses of damaged roof shingles at lower rear valley area. A qualified roofing contractor should
replace all damaged shingles."
Is it reasonable on my part to demand half the cost towards a new roof (reduction in price), because of the discrepancy between disclosed and actual age/condition of the roof?
We are probably paying market value or slight above for this house, which is in NJ.
Last edited by victorian11; 05-01-2013 at 12:36 PM..
First, a home inspector should not be trying to negotiate terms in his inspection report. Totally against his job and his knowledge.
Second, there is no way to determine age of the roof unless the seller was the one who put it on. They probably didn't intentionally mislead you. If they haven't been there so many years, they probably put the number they were told by the previous sellers. Also, MANY times, the weather conditions make a roof look older than it really is.
The sellers are selling the property in its present condition. You should probably ask for a credit toward some repairs, but asking for the complete cost of a "future" roof is not the best strategy. HOWEVER, this is a relo company will less emotion tied to the property and they're just about a number, so ask for as much as you feel they would go for and settle for a reduced number that they come back with. Remember, the relo company had a home inspection too, so they'll probably compare notes.
By the way, no where in your cut and paste does it say the roof is 19 years instead of 12.
sounds like it needs a new roof now. I would try to negotiate to get half, as you said. It says it's prone to leakage already. It sounds like it is completely worn out. Likely needs replacement today. 19 years means time for a new roof. big diff between 12 and 19 years. besides, if the inspection says it is worn out and prone to leakage, then it's time.
Let a professional roofer declare it DOA. within the inspecton period.
First, a home inspector should not be trying to negotiate terms in his inspection report. Totally against his job and his knowledge.
Sorry, that was my mistake with the quote tags. I have corrected the OP. The inspector only provided his observations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FalconheadWest
The sellers are selling the property in its present condition. You should probably ask for a credit toward some repairs, but asking for the complete cost of a "future" roof is not the best strategy. HOWEVER, this is a relo company will less emotion tied to the property and they're just about a number, so ask for as much as you feel they would go for and settle for a reduced number that they come back with. Remember, the relo company had a home inspection too, so they'll probably compare notes.
By the way, no where in your cut and paste does it say the roof is 19 years instead of 12.
Thanks for the advice, I was looking to ask for 50% of the cost towards a future roof and not the full amount. The estimated age was in a different section
Quote:
The age of the roof is estimated to be approximately 19 years old, based upon information
provided on site and our observations. The roofing surface is mulitple layer. The inspector physically
walked on the roof, and view it from other elevations and locations
Is the price lower than comparables to reflect the need for a new roof soon? Probably not, though, since the relo company thinks it's only 12 years old.
Were they really only so inaccurate on the roof? How did only the roof get a wrong date?
On the other hand, maybe they weren't inaccurate intentionally and there was a typo at some point along the line of paperwork...maybe it's 22 years old instead of 12.
if it's multi-layer, it likely will need a tear off and replace. That costs more, I think.
you are gracious to ask for only half. they should jump at that.
It's not only that you thought it was 12 years old, but also the inspector found issues with it that you couldn't have known about. Make sure you bring up the issues they discovered about the grain and separation and leakage and the fact they said it needs replacement(in slightly different words). this is more than merely age going on. it's worn out.
I read the report to mean that the roof is serviceable but should receive immediate minor repairs.
> the roof was found to me much older than disclosed (19 years vs 12 years)
Not relevant. You now know the condition of the roof and can estimate how soon it needs to be replaced. Revise the offer based on this knowledge. It's not possible to say what a seller will decide.
The inspector's language looks very much like the general wording and warnings I've seen in other reports. You can ask, but if the roof has a 25-year life span, which I think is pretty common, and it's 19 years old, then it's questionable how much you can ask for . . . although you can try. Did the inspector show you leakage spots inside the house and did he check those with a moisture meter? If it's actually leaking and not just "prone to leakage," then the sellers do need to repair it.
Once I heard that a lender wouldn't loan if the roof was over x-years old or had less than x years life. Check with your lender
.
This applies only for FHA loans and the roof should have > 2 years of life left on it.
Quote:
Did the inspector show you leakage spots inside the house and did he check those with a moisture meter? If it's actually leaking and not just "prone to leakage," then the sellers do need to repair it.
No, there were no leakage spots in the house. The inspector noted that to guarantee that the roof does not leak, a water test needs to be done and a roof ceritification should be issued. The certification costs about $150 and I am thinking of going for it.
Quote:
It's not only that you thought it was 12 years old, but also the inspector found issues with it that you couldn't have known about. Make sure you bring up the issues they discovered about the grain and separation and leakage and the fact they said it needs replacement(in slightly different words). this is more than merely age going on. it's worn out.
Yes, it is the wearing out and the granule loss which concerns me. I don't want to be saddled with the cost and hassle of replacing the roof so soon after buying.
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