House buying: Extension roof: Flat or pitched?

[Rollercoaster1920]

When buying a house that has been extended on teh ground floor do you make a decision onthepurchase based on teh roof being flat or pitched?

We are looking to extend in 2021, 4 metres out the back of the house.
But might need to move 2 years later. I have a preference for pitched but an architect we spoke to preferred flat because it looks like a modern addition rather than a lean-to.

So if you were buying a pre-extended house - what would you prefer? The loft will also be extended so there will be 50% of the current roof already flat.

[QuitMoaning]

I prefer pitched and we changed a flat roof extension to a pitched roof with velux windows in. The room became really light and seemed much bigger when it was identical in size.

However I also like grey interiors which are hated on this site so I have no taste apparently.

[EllieQ]

Pitched. When we bought this house, it had a small flat-roofed extension which we expanded, and as part of this we replaced the roof with a pitched roof. Meant the room could be much lighter as we put velux windows in.

[Fennelandlovage]

Pitched here too. Architects love flat but more maintenance.

[SingingBabooshkaBadly]

@QuitMoaning, would you mind my asking roughly how much it cost to change your flat roof to a pitched? Was it a lean to pitch or pitched both sides?

OP, as you may have guessed, I have a flat roofed extension. I’d prefer pitched, hence my question to quitmoaning, but it certainly didn’t put us off buying our house. I’d buy with a flat roof again if I liked the house.

[Funnyfive]

I would consider a flat roof as long as it was designed well using a contemporary approach.

In terms of maintenance, technology has advanced considerably so they don’t leak anymore (if constructed properly) so that wouldn’t put me off either.

Google flat roofed extensions and it brings up lots of lovely designs.

[Theteapotsbrokenspout]

We changed two extensions with flat roofs to pitched on the house we bought last October. The kitchen is now mono pitched and the bathroom is pitched with a hip roof.
The total cost for those, together with retiling (pantiles) another single storey roof, was £11 000.

[GOODCAT]

Pitched is better and lasts longer. We have just replaced a flat roof which wasn't possible to change to a pitched roof because of the room above. We also replaced the entire pitched roof at the same time. The pitched roof was the original and lasted 100 years, the flat roof had lasted 20 before it needed re-doing.

[CatkinToadflax]

We are about to extend with a flat roof. It will have large flat windows in it to let the light in, which is what made me agree to going with a flat rather than pitched roof. We'd have preferred pitched, but the extension's going to be an L shape, so it would be more complicated and probably substantially more expensive to build a pitched roof. Plus it'll be at the back of the house, so although it's less pretty few people will see it!

[Persipan]

I have a preference for pitched but an architect we spoke to preferred flat because it looks like a modern addition rather than a lean-to.
That's all very well for the architect but they won't be the one who has to maintain it!

[QuitMoaning]

@SingingBabooshkaBadly
I actually don’t know the cost of it as it was part of large project to renovate the whole of the downstairs and a new kitchen and utility room. We didn’t change the footprint but pretty much every thing else.
The roof isn’t pitched, so more like a lean to roof and It meets the house just under the top floor bedrooms.
We only lifted it by about 70/80cms but it made a massive difference to the feel of the room.

[Sanch1]

I'm a building surveyor. Definitely pitched. Longer life, less change of problems, less/easier maintenance and just overall looks better!

[SingingBabooshkaBadly]

@QuitMoaning, thanks - it actually sounds like your project is pretty similar to the one we’re considering (half excited, half dreading it!). To be honest only one of us is actually considering the pitched roof atm - I know DH will want to go with the minimum possible distribution but I’m thinking we’ll almost certainly need a new roof at some point so it makes sense to get it all done properly at the start. Great info that it made such a difference to the feel of your place - might help persuade him

With apologies to the OP for the derail...

[Peony9876]

I would generally say a pitched roof is better for the aesthetics and maintainence however a flat roof with a large roof lantern can look nice e.g
images.app.goo.gl/qY93rPpwaFYqZurcA

[Rollercoaster1920]

So I'm getting the feeling that about 2/3 rds of people would prefer to buy a sloping roof rather than flat. So that's what we'll go with. It'll have some velux windows for light and join just under the upstairs windows. Thank you!

[domesticslattern]

Good idea, pitched. There is a reason why house insurance quotes ask if you have any flat roofs- they cost money to mend when they leak!

[DaphneduM]

Definitely pitched. Flat roofs have a limited timespan before they start failing - I speak from experience here!

[Katjolo]

Does it depend on size of extension and style of house?

[OhLookHeKickedTheBall]

We have a pitched extension, next door have a flat. They've had to do work twice whereas we haven't in the many years we've been here. Next door would advise you to go pitched.

[Soontobe60]

@Fennelandlovage

Pitched here too. Architects love flat but more maintenance.

Our flat roof is 25 yrs old and never needed maintenance. We had our main roof replaced last year and the roofer said the flat roof was still good for a few more years. Our neighbour had a pitched roof last summer - has had the roofers back 3 times this summer!

[Adwodeabo]

It wouldn’t bother me as long as it was a proper flat roof coated in rubber or fibreglass, with integral gutters and a slight gradient to encourage rain to run off.

[pilates]

I prefer pitched roof

[SleeplessWB]

We had a flat roof extension with a lovely roof lantern - it is much lighter and nicer than the neighbours who have a pitched roof with velux windows. Integral drainage, modern materials, shouldn't have any issues.

[pushananas]

Pitched