The excitement of signing a contract to sell your home can quickly turn into nervousness when it comes time to schedule the inspection. You never know what minor crack or chip might be identified as a major problem at a home roof inspection.
By taking a few quick and easy proactive steps, you can take a lot of pressure off the inspection and objection process.
Understanding the Home Inspection Process
A home inspection is an integral part of nearly all home sales, providing buyers with assurance that they’re purchasing a property free of significant defects.
To start, here’s what to expect from the inspection process: It’s part of nearly all home sale transactions as a way for the home buyer to ensure they are purchasing a home free of significant issues. If issues are identified, the inspection and objection process allows the buyer and seller to negotiate on any needed repairs or allowances before the home sale is finalized and closed.
Each home, and thus each home inspection, is different and unique. But, generally, a thorough inspection will include a review of the home’s:
- Roof system
- Attic (and attic insulation)
- Exterior review (including windows and doors)
- Plumbing system (including water heater)
- HVAC system (including furnace, air conditioner, and/or evaporative cooler)
- Electrical system
- Appliances
- Foundation & structural integrity
- Sewer scope – many inspectors also offer this as an option for an additional charge
Home Inspection Best Practices
We recommend performing a few simple tasks to make a good impression on the inspector. To start, de-clutter and deep clean your home to give the inspector the impression the home has been well cared for. It’s also best to move any obstacles that may be in the inspectors’ way, as they will need easy access to your basement, attic, and/or any crawl spaces.
It’s also highly encouraged to repair any minor cosmetic blemishes around your home before the inspection. Things like small drywall scuffs, nail holes, or paint chips may signal to the inspector (or buyer) that larger issues exist.
Common Roof Issues to Watch Out For
Some of the common issues that inspectors are trained to watch out for regarding roofs include:
- Visible water damage or stains on ceilings and walls. These are signs that a leak is present.
- Missing shingles or tiles. Can expose the roof deck underneath and contribute to water damage.
- Hail damage. Hail bruises cause deterioration of your roof surface (such as shingles) to begin and cause leaks over time.
- Missing shingle granules. If your shingle roof is 20+ years old, the protective granules may be nearly completely shed which exposes the mat underneath to harmful UV rays.
- Missing attic insulation. If your attic was never insulated, it could cause ice damming in the winter months as well as heating and cooling issues.
- Wood rot or mold in the attic. This can be an indicator that the roofing system is not performing it’s core duty of keeping the interior dry.
Proactive Home Roof Inspection: A Smart Investment
We recommend scheduling a professional roof inspection before the home inspection. This proactive step allows you to identify and address any issues upfront, providing peace of mind to both you and potential buyers.
Have Your Roof Inspected Before the Home Inspection
If your local roofer discovers problems, one option is to have the roof repaired according to the contractor’s findings and recommendations. Providing this information upfront to the buyer will likely give them peace of mind. Your other option is to proactively provide your findings to the buyer to allow them the opportunity to negotiate whether the recommendations will be completed and paid for. A popular negotiation tactic is to offer to discount the estimated cost of repairs from the purchase price of the home if you don’t want to bother doing them yourself.
Check out our homeowner’s roof guide
The other potential outcome is your roofer finds the roof to be in good working condition. In this case, if they feel confident enough in the roof, they may be willing to provide a certificate stating that they envision a minimum of 5 more years of life out of the existing roof. Having this 5-year certificate handy to provide to home buyers can provide a lot of relief to all parties involved.
Our team at Sol Vista Roofing can help. If you are interested in a pre-inspection roof inspection, contact us to have a professional roofer assess your roof for free.