seller view- fix or leave alone?

[edwardh1]

long time lurker. Might be a seller of a family home soon. One owner, one story, "mid century" how I hate that word - 1957

roof is 1x6 planked, with asphalt shingles, roof is old 20+ years. buyer will have to replace, tho it does not leak.

from inside the attic there are two defects visible,

- one a dark area on the edge of a roof plank where about 1 inch wide and 8 inches long where a roof leak from a pushed up roof nail was. that has been fixed years ago , it does not leak.

other issue is a broken in area also on the edge of a 1x6 plank about 3 x 4 inches where in a hurricane a tree limb broke the roof plank and when it was reroofef (shingles) the roofer missed that piece. it does not leak either.

I can cover these up with 1x8 planking or plywood but seems it would then

be a suspicious area (whats under the wood.?) seems both can only best be fixed when the roof is replaced?

agree?

disagree?

thanks

house will most likely have a home inspection/

[Garry Sorrells]

Hiding the problem is a bad idea. Will cost you in the long run. If the roof needs to be replaced and some repairs done I would suggest that you put on a new roof before you put the house on the market.

Rational:

1) Selling point for house.

2) It will cost you less for you to have the roof done than what you will lose in the negotiations.

[kurt]

Don't cover it up. Sleazy.

Put it on the market. Get an offer. Any decent HI is going to point out the old roof. Negotiate a sale.

Don't dink around like a realtor piddling about some dink roof issue. Deal with what comes up, throw them a bone if they want some money for a roof.

[gtblum]

Don't cover it up. Sleazy.

Put it on the market. Get an offer. Any decent HI is going to point out the old roof. Negotiate a sale.

Don't dink around like a realtor piddling about some dink roof issue. Deal with what comes up, throw them a bone if they want some money for a roof.

What Kurt said!

[Marc]

Both of those are small potatoes. I wouldn't bother with either. From your description, neither would end up in my report. Any decent HI is going to find numerous other, more significant findings, in addition to the aged roof cover, that will dwarf those two little things.

Just behave accommodating towards the findings of your buyer's inspector. That will help keep him from walking away from your house.

If you're really concerned about losing a buyer, hire your own inspector up front, get bids to fix the major stuff that he finds then keep those number handy to counter whatever your buyer's inspector comes up with. That can sometimes turn a difficult sale into a quick sale, depending on the buyer.

Marc

[John Kogel]

A real inspector will see that is old damage.

If you choose not to reroof, disclose it and state that this is reflected in your price. Disclose everything that you don't want to negotiate.

You can offer to patch the sheathing if it becomes an issue. That puts you up one notch.

[Rob Amaral]

Roofers regularly factor-in sheathing repairs in their estimates to some degree during re-roofing.. "That can be done during the re-roofing job as is the usual practice"..

[Marc]

Roofers regularly factor-in sheathing repairs in their estimates to some degree during re-roofing.. "That can be done during the re-roofing job as is the usual practice"..

Don't assume anything..period.

[]

Marc

[edwardh1]

Roofers regularly factor-in sheathing repairs in their estimates to some degree during re-roofing.. "That can be done during the re-roofing job as is the usual practice"..

true, on my own home I saw a big variation on sheating replacement from 5 roofers. several wanted $150 a sheet of plywood. others wanted $50 a sheet with first 3 sheets free (knowing that on old roofs that there would be damaged sheets, roofers worked only with full sheets (4x8).

my personal home had 8 sheets replaced (with no known inside leaks) and neighbor has 17 sheets replaced. it can be a big cost factor.

roofers must be a strange breed, one man son team got angry when I asked about use of ice and water "felt" under the shingles in valleys, said they had installed shingles without it for 25 years w no leaks, said I was trying to tell them what they were doing, the other bidders laughed at that and said most manufacturers require it, and even have a cartoon on the bag showing use of the ice and water material

OT somewhat but I found talking to roofers difficult, found a good one tho

[Rob Amaral]

Bingo and bingo!!

[Eric B]

I can cover these up with 1x8 planking or plywood but seems it would then

be a suspicious area (whats under the wood.?) seems both can only best be fixed when the roof is replaced?

agree?

disagree?

If the buyer suspects that you're pulling a fast one you have increased the odds of their looking elsewhere. I have seem offers withdrawn simply because the trust factor went out the window. My advice: spill the beans and be as honest as you can.

[Trent Tarter]

If you're serious about selling your house I would suggest getting a pre-listing inspection by a good reputable home inspector. This way you can be proactive vs reactive. Even making a few basic repairs and improvements can make the whole sale process go smoother.

A few dark areas on roof sheathing is typical for a home of this age. The small area where tree branch fell through can be repaired by placing a sheet metal patch below shingles. Age of roof is one thing, the condition is the most important, especially for the appraisal and financing.

If the roof is in acceptable condition considering it's age I would just make sure it's well maintained, remove any moss, repair/replace any damage shingles, basic sealant repairs etc. If it comes down to roof negotiations with a buyer you can sometimes come out ahead by giving a roofing allowance that covers a large portion of roof replacement but not the full cost.

[Jim Baird]

very funny post

Dig this. Once I inspected a used car for sale by an individual I knew casually. He owned a very stylish owner-built home on a lovely woodlot. Old family property. Very eccentric, custom construction. He was putting home on the market soon. After I had examined car briefly he led me to see a standpipe right beside the house that he thought led to an underground storage tank for what was most likely fuel oil (very rare in our area), and no longer functional. He asked me if I thought he could just saw this pipe off below grade, bring in the soil, and not mention anything on disclosure.

Guess what I told him, and guess how my judgement of his used car for sale was affected!