When did you last take a good, lasting look at your home’s roof? Sure, you glimpse it plenty of times, such as when returning home after a busy day at work. However, glances might not suffice for detecting roofing problems that, left unaddressed, can hamper the value of your home.
Therefore, if you are considering selling your home sooner or later, leaving that roof without a thorough inspection can mean money left on the table. How much exactly? Well…
A solid roof provides solid protection
Of course, protection against harsh weather is exactly what your roof should provide – so, if you have recently noticed leaking from an upstairs ceiling, you have good reason to believe that something has gone wrong. However, a leak isn’t the only warning sign of a damaged roof.
From the outside, you might be able to spot a few loose tiles or full gutters and drains through a pair of binoculars. If you can’t quite see enough to check, though, consider asking a professional roofer to inspect that roof for you – they will know how to do so skilfully and safely.
If there is a problem, how serious is it?
The nature of the problem will affect how much financial outlay is necessary for rectifying it. For example, if that roofer tells you that the roof is sagging, this would count as a structural defect likely to require an especially expensive repair job, warns Homebuilding & Renovating. However, the site adds that, for adding value, such an improvement would be “absolutely essential”.
However, even if it’s just a case of a few dislodged tiles, the Express advises that you repair the damage before arranging for potential buyers to view your property. After all, in their eyes, such damage is unsightly and hints at other, worse problems, like leaks.
Putting a figure on the value of a solid roof
Given the wide range of problems that can occur with roofs, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how much value you could gain from strengthening your own roof. UK property website Sell House Fast has reported that a renovation spree, including repairing a roof, can add just over £126,000 in value.
On the other hand, if a damaged roof is your home’s only obvious problem, you still have a lot to consider. This is MONEY.co.uk warns that a buyer convinced of their future need to repair the home’s roof is likely to attempt to haggle with you to get a lower price for that property.
However, provided you make sure your roof is well-maintained, leak-free, insulated and in good condition, you can expect to make an average profit of £4,150 on this work. If you aren’t experienced in fixing roofs, consider tasking professional roofers with carrying out the work.
If you live in North East England, for example, keep in mind that Findley Roofing & Building maintains a team of reliable and trustworthy roofers near Hartlepool. The firm’s roofers can travel to anywhere across the region to repair residential roofing.