Any Victorian house dwellers here? HELP needed with big scary new roof dilemna...

[30andLurking]

Hi all
We're looking to buy a lovely big Victorian house, which needs a fair bit of work doing. We've budgeted for it and it's a stretch but just about possible.
Surveyor went in this week and tells us the roof needs replacing, this is NOT in the budget and we can't renegotiate our offer.
We'll get a quote, but has anyone done similar and can give me a rough ball park of how much to expect before I get any more emotionally commited/completely give up on this place? It's a detached Victorian 4-bed with concrete tiles on the pitched bits and a felt flat roof bit, which all need replacing (so scaffolding I guess?) but the joists etc seem sound.
I love it, we can no longer afford it, I'm going to cry

All very sensible advice - sorry to hear you had such a nightmare banjo, why do you think your surveys didn't pick up on the problems?

Why not to try getting quotes from non-local companies? I did my double glazing for half price with a remote company which I would have done with local companies.
Also, if you want to commit yourself to doing a lot of work, make sure you don?t want to sell in the next 5 years ? by then it should pay off.

Ok, we're letting it go.

Budget was being stretched and stretched, so family were offering to help- which was amazing but starting to feel like a big family drama, rather than a decision between DH and I. So we're walking away, even though it was beeeuuuuutiful

Someone make me feel better by telling me that was the mature and reponsible decision, while I weep into my laptop?!?!

It was a mature and responsible decision.

Last year we were soooo close to buying a beautiful Victorian house but it was at the top of our budget and needed a bit doing to it. It was just as HBOS/RBS were having their melt down so we decided to walk away. It was sad but, hey.

Anyway, we found a house that we preferred this Summer which was a lot cheaper and needed nothing doing to it. It is Victorian and it is my dream home and we are so happy here.

In a years time you will be glad you didn't buy it. A house that you can't really afford would never really feel like a home, more like a big and scary burden.

Keep looking something better will come along.

You are doing the right thing. We have just bought a big beautiful Victorian place - and found it has not just damp (as per survey), but also woodworm throughout, dry rot so bad that one bedroom floor is above to collapse as the wall plate(s?) has gone, and it is freezing. I am feeling v depressed indeed.
I imagine you would find all kinds of stuff that needed doing once you moved in.

You have done the right thing.Our roof has had 2 ridges replaced £1500 and needs another 2 plus 2 small ones but not emergency!I have renovated the house top to bottom but with old houses things keep appearing.The boiler is dripping and my sons bedroom windowsill needs ripped out as its soaked.It is ongoing!You will find something with less work to do that you will love as much keep looking!

Hi 30 - you made the right decision.
Our place is a Victorian Gothic semi (mad but IMHO fab). New roof - "tower", front and back pitched parts, and flat roof at the back (including barge boards, finials etc.)- £18k. The first quote we got was for £30k.

Thankfully we had a great roofing co who did a brilliant job, but the guy told us some horror stories. He said a lot of roofers have only worked on new builds where they basically put the same roof on the same house many times. Then if they are faced with something unique like ours, they can really struggle with the best way to do it.

Our surveyor also told us the roof had 5 years max, we did it after 2 because it had tiles blowing off etc. The roofer said it wouldn't have lasted much longer because a lot of the wood underneath was rotten (that also pushed the price up). We've had terrible winds this winter - I reckon it would have been seriously damaged. We got it done in the nick of time.

We are intending never to move again