To roof or not to roof....

[CellophaneFlower]

Currently getting my late dad's house ready for sale.

The house has lots of potential and is in a much sought after road and area, however it does need a lot of modernisation - rewiring, new kitchen and bathroom etc. It has a single storey side extension, but foundations are deep enough that whoever buys it will definitely build on top of it to create a 4th bedroom.

Recently I've noticed a small watermark on the ceiling of the extension. It has a flat roof that really needs replacing. I've had some quotes and they're coming in at around £2600 to re-felt it etc. 1 person did offer to patch it up a bit for £1300, which I'm less keen on.

My dilemma is, that I'm selling the house as is really, bar smartening up the outside a little. I'm not doing anything inside really as whoever buys is going to totally renovate it. So... do I get the roof done, knowing that the new owners will rip it all off in near future when they extend anyway? Or do I spend the money, knowing it's going to be a big red flag on survey?

Thanks for any opinions

You can get some asphalt paint if a minor leak which is a temp fix but frankly better to leave as it is and price accordingly

Leave as is. I bought a house in a similar condition. The roof did come up on the survey so I negotiated to get the price down.

I'd price it to reflect the work but expect to discount a bit to reflect repairs that can't be seen. Eg leaking etc.

Sell it as it is and be prepared to discount if shown on a survey. A developer won't care about the state of the roof if they're about to pull it off but they will almost certainly still try to haggle on the price.

I’d personally re-roof it. Because in my experience, it will come up under survey. The buyer will then look for most expensive quote they can find and demand you discount the house selling price by that much. So, if you do it yourself for reasonable price, you actually come out ahead.

Personally I wouldn't bother doing it and price it to reflect the work that needs doing - it should be obvious that it will need doing.

The buyer will then look for most expensive quote they can find and demand you discount the house selling price by that much.
Just because they ask, it doesn't mean that you give. And quite frequently people "meet in the middle" anyway.

I would leave it, OP. Many people are reporting that it is difficult to get trades to do jobs at the moment so it will only delay your sale.

Don't be apologetic. Make a virtue of its status as a do-er/upper - they seem to be quite a rare thing these days.

You don't necessarily have to accept an offer because the roof needs doing. The asking price should reflect the condition of the house.

Can you not ask the estate agent to mention it - in the same terms you have - so people can make their offer accordingly, rather than endure an annoying renegotiation following the survey. Basically "they had quotes for between £x - £x but decided not to do the work given that they expected buyers to be looking to renovate, including potential upstairs extension" or something like that. You're upfront, it's not a big deal and it will save everyone time.

Thanks for your thoughts so far. The house is by no means a wreck but it is going to take more than a lick of paint... artexed ceilings throughout for a start.

My sister is keen to replace as she thinks the ceiling is going to come down... but it really is just a small watermark, so I'm not convinced this is going to be the case. I'm of the mind that a buyer would just prefer a discount as it's highly doubtful they'd use the money to re-roof, they'd just put it towards extending upwards. However if I dig my heels in and it does cave in I'm not going to be very popular

@Andthenanothercupoftea

Can you not ask the estate agent to mention it - in the same terms you have - so people can make their offer accordingly, rather than endure an annoying renegotiation following the survey. Basically "they had quotes for between £x - £x but decided not to do the work given that they expected buyers to be looking to renovate, including potential upstairs extension" or something like that. You're upfront, it's not a big deal and it will save everyone time.

This is a good approach. Prospective buyers get a rough figure which isn't too high in the grand scheme of things and you avoid the hassle. If the house was otherwise good to move in, it would be better done but it sounds like it will be someones project anyway so leave them to it.