Does anyone have experience with a thatched roof?

[carrottbaton]

We are looking to move house within the same village that we currently live in. There isn't a great deal on the market. A house has come on that is pretty perfect, except for it is thatched. This really puts me off - but I don't know if that's fair! I've done some online research and have an understanding of the maintenance and cost of re-thatching. A lot of people seem to think this feature adds value to the property.

Does anyone have a thatched roof? Would you buy a house that was thatched?

Not personally and I would not buy one but I think the thatch lasts 20 years so check if its done recently you have longer to save for it

Any reason why you wouldn't buy one?

It was re-thatched 5 years ago and thatching lasts about 40 years I have read.

My parents have one. The insurance and general upkeep is enough to send them loopy.

They look beautiful but know what you’re going into.

I'm a bit put off by it tbh although it wouldn't stop me buying something otherwise perfect. I'd be afraid of fires, insurance bills and also massive spiders - possibly my fears are over-egged...

Wouldn't be bothered about the prospect of re-thatching in general. I suspect that thatched house roofs are possibly better maintained than normal ones and you are much more likely to get info from the seller about when it was last re-done.

I’d be scared of cost as aware costs can be v v high

I would never buy a thatched house, but it's a very personal thing, some people love them. My biggest fear would be fire, followed by potential roof replacement costs. A well maintained tiled roof could easily last 80 years plus, but not thatch. If one lives in the house for, say, 20 years, any potential purchasers after that time may look at the roof and think that it will now need doing sooner rather than later, so the longer you live there, the more you are likely to have to reduce your price to account for the roof if you sell. I think 40 years lifespan is very optimistic too.

20 to 25 not 40. Specialist insurance. My neighbours have a thatched roof that has reached end of life it was done 23 years ago. It’s s state and because of Covid and where we are they are having real trouble getting it done. They are a bit clueless though and asked my roofer to do it. He patiently explained he’s a roofer not a thatcher.

Yes we have one and love it.

Thatch can be made from different materials and depends what its made of how long will last. Check exactly what was rethatched. Our back needed rethatching and reridge done - last done in 1980s - and cost around £30k. The ridge needs doing every 10 years as well as general maintenance but that is much cheaper. Our front was done in 2000 so will last another 10-20 years then need doing but is smaller than the back so maybe £20k.

There's a long waiting list for thatchers - around 18 months. Insurance is around £900 per year buildings and contents. Fire not too much of an issue for us (though fire station is 100 metres away if we need it!) but various regulations like smoke alarm and fire blanket, its just normal things like keep batteries in smoke alarm, don't smoke etc. We don't have open fires - that raises insurance and fire risk.

I would check whole roof was rethatched and ask for proof - check it was all of it and not just a reridge. You can get a thatcher out to give an assessment for free as well. I would buy one again but I love them but they are expensive - c.£60k ish over 40 years for an average 3 bed cottage and around £1k a year in insurance.

Check what material its made from, some don't last as long as ours.

The cost of maintaining and insurance would put me off.

The fact that so many people are put off by a thatched roof means I would avoid it. When you come to resell your market will be much smaller because of it.

We have one and love it.

Ours is long straw. We paid 22k for the rethatch (full) in 2015. The thatcher took 18 months to get to us on his list as this is the general lead time for thatchers. You do not want a thatcher who can start tomorrow!

When they rethatch they only remove half the straw and then rethatch that half - so 3ft thick, reduce to 1.5ft thick and then rethatch on top.

The work took about 4 weeks and was messy as we have old windows that let the dust through.

We have installed a lined chimney with a wood burner which is insulated from the thatch we had to have the chimney extended 1.8m over the thatch to get insured. Ironically if we'd just carried on using the open fire we wouldn't have had to extend the chimney.

Our ins is about 2k a year buildings and contents. We use a specialist insurer as regular ones won't touch thatch.

We have little mice who make their winter home in the loft which I expect they access via a small hole around the thatch. We dont mind we live in the country so you get used to it!

We have cobb walls too so the house is always warm in the winter and cool in sumer and the thatch helps with that.

We love love love our house. Oh and it is log Ely and quiet on a stormy night!

No. Seen too many stories like this: www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10400082.family-home-wrecked-thatch-roof-fire/

The particularly frightening part for me is that it doesn't have to be a spark or flame for the roof to burn, it's superheating too leading to spontaneous combustion - and the fact you wouldn't know your roof was on fire until it had burnt through to the inside.

Just no. That article wasn't even the particular incident I was remembering, but so many of the same tale came up I couldn't find it.