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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to pull out of house purchase due to roof issues?

38 replies

SocksOnTheLoose · 01/04/2025 11:15

Hi!

It’s a long story… My partner and I are first-time buyers, and we have a mortgage advisor. We found a house that we fell in love with and also really liked the vendors. We made an offer (£5,000 less than the asking price), which they accepted on the same day.

We’ve been in this process for about two months now. Around two weeks ago, we received a phone call saying that the vendors had lost the house they were buying and now need to find another one (their survey also revealed some serious issues). This happened just before our survey. Then, when our survey came back, it also highlighted serious issues with the roof and walls.

We’re feeling disheartened and unsure about what to do. Our mortgage advisor suggested getting some quotes, as surveyors sometimes exaggerate the severity of issues. We’ve contacted a few professionals, but no one has gotten back to us.

Are we just wasting our time and energy on this… or not? I’m really just looking for opinions and maybe some advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Rant over.

P.S.: I don’t know if anyone will make it to the end of this, but if you did, thank you for taking the time to read it. I’ll attach some photos of the report.

AIBU to pull out of house purchase due to roof issues?
AIBU to pull out of house purchase due to roof issues?
AIBU to pull out of house purchase due to roof issues?
AIBU to pull out of house purchase due to roof issues?
AIBU to pull out of house purchase due to roof issues?
OP posts:
WhatWasPromised · 01/04/2025 12:32

Yeah the bit about the roof itself is a repair to avoid storm damage. Literally a few hundred pounds in cost. Nothing there would particularly concern me.

I can’t read the other red bit about the ceilings though

TizerorFizz · 01/04/2025 12:24

@QuirkInTheMatrix It’s not about the roof tiles. It’s about repairs. The structure is sound but it needs some attention.

Original poster
SocksOnTheLoose · 01/04/2025 12:23

Our only issue with roofers is that we’ve contacted many, but only one responded—and they said we’d need to pay £400 just to get a quote. Is that normal? We don’t have any roofer contacts, so we’re just trying to choose based on reviews. I really hope we won’t have to replace the roof. We’re just trying to get a quote, but it’s hard when so few are responding.

OP posts:
QuirkInTheMatrix · 01/04/2025 12:15

I'm struggling to read it all but it's an old , 1950s slate roof? My house is well over 100 years old with a slate roof. The slates last forever. When we moved in the roof hadn;t been touched in 100 years, we had the odd slate slippage but nothing major.

ten/15 years ago we had it reroofed. They took all the slates off, put a membrane down, put the original slates back on with new nails. Cost 3k. Been perfect since.

I would not worry about that survey but yes to getting a roofer to look at it.

Tiswa · 01/04/2025 12:10

TizerorFizz · 01/04/2025 12:09

Where does it say it needs a new roof? It needs repair. I’d want around £10,000 off. It’s not a massive issue in my view. The timbers are ok and so are the tiles. It needs ventilation and that helps keep it dry when it’s insulated. I would not say it’s a deal breaker but price matters. As they don’t have anywhere to go, you could look around again.

This just knock something off the asking price to reflect that

TizerorFizz · 01/04/2025 12:09

Where does it say it needs a new roof? It needs repair. I’d want around £10,000 off. It’s not a massive issue in my view. The timbers are ok and so are the tiles. It needs ventilation and that helps keep it dry when it’s insulated. I would not say it’s a deal breaker but price matters. As they don’t have anywhere to go, you could look around again.

Staceysmum2025 · 01/04/2025 12:00

Every house I have ever bought for the last 30 years the survey has said it needs a new roof.

It never needs a new roof and if anything new roofs can be worse than the ones they’re taking off
Every single time a Roofer who one might argue has invested interest in replacing the roof has gone onto the roof and said no there’s about £600 worth of repairs need doing and we’ve done those.

My brother knocked 10 grand off his house sale two years ago. Because of the new roof issue. I live around the corner from the house.
They have not put a new roof on

longapple · 01/04/2025 12:00

I don't trust reviews of tradespeople on checkatrade but their blog is very useful for giving ball park figures for how much almost anything is likely to cost eg
www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/roof-replacement-cost/

OxfordInkling · 01/04/2025 11:58

If you’re worried, ask a roofer to visit and quote for the work. But reading the actual words on the roofing section - they wouldn’t be worried by that. It will just need some maintenance in the next few years

BlinkFifteen · 01/04/2025 11:52

After a survey is usually where negotiations start as the house is valued by an estate agent and anything obvious like a 30 year old kitchen will have been taken into consideration. The survey has now flagged up potentially needing a new roof or at least repairs, you get quotes, then go back to the vendor and try to reduce the price by the cost of the new roof so you are not at a loss financially

You have the survey to back up that it needs doing, you show that to the estate agent for proof meaning if the vendors say no to you and put their house back on the market they will have the same issue for the next buyer. The estate agent wants the sale so is likely to advise them of the above.

Homeowning will always mean updating things either because it is essential or because cosmetically you want to change something. It isn't biting off more than you can chew because you are not doing the work. Do you know anyone through family, friends or work colleagues who have had building work or roofing work who can recommend someone? My roofer was originally through my extension and then has been back 2 more times for issues with leaks. My house is 25 years old but we are on an exposed elevation. Just like yours, my ridge tiles needed repointing.

Keep on at the people you contacted but put feelers out through people you know. From the roofer's perspective, this isn't a house you own yet so might not come to any work but he/she is expected to come out for free and quote.

I am not suggesting you fix the roof but this chap is amazing, so have a watch of his videos but also lots of renovation stories on youtube of people doing things themselves. We are competent DIYers and have learned a lot from researching on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/@FixmyroofCoUk

Fixmyroof

The new growing online resource for Roofing tips, tricks and know how http//:www.fixmyroof.co.uk

https://www.youtube.com/@FixmyroofCoUk?cbrd=1&ucbcb=1

Gelatibon · 01/04/2025 11:37

I think a surveyor is less likely to over play it than a mortgage advisor, who stands to lose the mortgage, is to underplay it.

You don't need to pull out, unless you dont want to move into a house that needs work, but the price does need to reflect the work needed.

Original poster
SocksOnTheLoose · 01/04/2025 11:34

It’s from the 1950s. The vendors said they have never experienced any damp, but the report mentioned that there might be some. They did have a leak in the bathroom and replaced some piping, but other than that, nothing major. The house itself needs updating inside, which we were prepared for, but not for a full roof replacement. I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew.

OP posts:
SilverBlue56 · 01/04/2025 11:18

So the house needs a new roof, how old is it? Any house will need some work whether immediately or in a few years time
Unless you buy a new build, expect to have some red on the survey tbh
It just depends whether you can afford to sort it out or not. And if it's not leaking it's not urgent.