Seller says Roof guarantee not available.

[apoorna]

Dear Mums,

We are in the process of buying a house - surveys are in progress, mortgage approved etc. In the original information form provided to us, the sellers mentioned that they got a new roof 5 years ago. They ticked the box that said guarantee is available for the roof but our solicitors came back saying they confirmed they don't have it, asking us if we would like to proceed. What would you do if you were me?

Best regards,
Apoorna

Ask your solicitor about indemnity insurance.

Can they give you the name of the company who installed the roof? They can obtain a copy of the guarantee from the company or you can call them up to ask if they will provide you with a copy.

You also need to check that the new roof has building regs. This will show up on the local authority search carried out by your solicitor. I think they relate to the right amount of insulation being used.

@Sleeperandthespindle, thanks. What is indemnity insurance?

@Coughingchildren5, yes I am asking my solicitor if the sellers could get the guarantee now. We are slightly worried as it is a new roof and there is no guarantee for it

Personally I wouldn't worry overly about it - wouldn't be a deal breaker for me as long as roof was clearly not a bodge job.

TBH, many guarantees aren't worth the paper they are written on. Either there are so many exclusions as to make it worthless or the company liquidates, changes its name slightly to continue trading and thereby invalidates all past guarantees.

If the roof meets standards (are there any checks for just replacing tiles?) I would be fine with it.

New roofs need building regs. Is there a certificate of completion? If not, push for indemnity.

I bet there isn’t – when I needed a new roof it was extremely difficult to get a roofer to quote according to building regs, and 90% of them told me I didn’t need building regs. Cowboys.

This covers what is needed for building regs for roofs

www.kentroof.com/new-roof-kent/new-roof-planning-permission/

You can search online for most building reg applications too.

if you can get a recommendation for a good local roofer, you could ask her to take a look. A good pair of binoculars from all sides at ground level will tell you a lot, and you don't need the owner's permission. If they will let her into the loft, you can see if it has a modern breathable membrane (the tiles will be hidden) and pick up other clues.

I am not a roofer but I would notice uneven, slipped or incorrectly-cut tiles, a loose ridge or bad verges. I can also tell if the tiles are really five years old, or if they have just been patched up. IME roofers are very quick to put up a big ladder and shin up it for a look.

p.s.
offer to pay them for their time. Try £50 for an opinion.

Ask the surveyor to pay particular attention to the roof when he/she goes out for a look.

On a full building survey ours took photos of the roof from all angles (including from the loft area) and provided four pages of A4 about the condition of the roof.

Thanks ladies for all the wonderful suggestions. I am on it now