Is it always a bad idea to buy a house with a flat roof?

[Picklepants]

Sellers say the roof has been recovered, approx 6 years ago, with a 'rubber and bitumen-based felt material', which is under guarantee.

It's also got damp (although sellers have committed to treating it), and there has been Japanese Knotweed on a patch of council-owned land, just on the other side of the boundary. This has apparently been eradicated by the council, but is still mentioned in the Home Report.

We should steer clear, shouldn't we?

We've looked at houses with flat roofs, and haven't been too put off. Apparently the new flat roofs can last as long as a regular roof.... plus, the flat roofs are usually attached to my fave house type- modernist, which means big windows and loads of space.

I would be more worried about the damp. What kind is it? Penetrating, condensation or rising? Full structural survey and money off??!

Thanks for your reply narmada.

It does have big windows and lots of space... It's lovely, and the only house we've seen that DH and I both like! Typical that it'll end up being the turkey that no-lender will touch with a barge pole.

This is what it says in the Home Report:

'High moisture meter readings were obtained to the lower walls to the south eastmost corner of the eastmost ground floor bedroom indicating either penetrating or rising damp. Outside this area is the external access stairs to the back door into the kitchen above. A damp proofing specialist firm will be able to investigate the extent of the problem and effect remedial repairs using guaranteed methods. I am told by the seller that XXX Preservation are to carry out the work to guaranteed standard prior to sale.'

It doesn't sound too onerous, I don't think?

I had a house with a flat roof for seven years and had no problem with it (was a 1930s modernist house namada). We did have problem when it came to sell - one person pulled out after the surveyor "discovered" there was a flat roof, not exactly as if we were disguising it in any way. I think that as long as you keep an eye on it in terms of maintenance once the guarantee has expired, it should be fine. The good thing about flat roofs is you can get out onto them easily to see if there is any pooling etc and can ring alarm bells fairly quickly.

Ooh, a 1930s modernist house sounds lovely lala. Good point about the roof access, hadn't thought of that.

We're not buying the house with the expectation that we'll be there forever, so we do need to think about re-sale issues unfortunately.

Oh, it's so hard, this property lark! Esp for someone like me - I fall in love with every second house I see.

I have the opposite problem - only want to buy houses that aren't for sale. Spend my time finding excuses to walk past them and fantasise about how I would redo the kitchens...