When buying a home, there are certain things you scrutinize closely — with the age and condition of the roof being one of the top ones on the list. And rightfully so. Depending on the size of your home, replacing it will cost somewhere in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars and can impact your ability to occupy the home depending on the extent of repairs required. I know for us, this was a big concern we focused on during our homesearch since it was such a big ticket issue.
Home search questions
Below are a list of some of the questions we focused on throughout the home search process. We found some houses where the concerns on these points were significant, leading for us to rule out certain homes from our consideration set:
- What is the current age of the roof?
- Before having the thorough home inspection, what condition does it appear to be in?
- Are there other ceiling-related concerns from the inside of the home to make you question the quality of the current work?
- Are there any immediate roof repairs that are necessary?
Ongoing roof maintenance
Even after you choose a home, your work isn’t done. No, it never really is! Your roof is such an important structural element and is something you will need to keep an eye on over time as its condition will continue to change. Here are some things for you to consider.
Keep a close eye on the roof’s age. Along with a number of other things around the home, it is important to not lose track of its age. It’s such a big priority when you buy but it can be easy to lose sight of it as time goes on. Set up an excel and check it every six months to keep an eye on the current stats (for age of roof but also for your water heater, fence and appliances in particular — and last cleaning date for things like gutters, sewer line and chimney — other things may apply specific to your home.)
Don’t lose sight of anything of concern that might have come up during your home inspection. The detailed report from the inspection should work like an encyclopedia of your home. While it doesn’t capture those new unexpected issues, it does contain an exhaustive list of even minor things you should ideally taken care of. Some of those, like areas where there is an indication of moisture, can be helpful in identifying any more immediate patches the roof might need. If there were bigger issues identified, it could be good to reach out to a qualified Clark, New Jersey roofer to have them check to make sure it is not a more major issue.
Make it a priority to clean your downspouts and gutters. By doing this, you can help to prolong the life of your roof — definitely a goal to maximize your current one and prolong the need for any major repairs or for a complete replacement. Gutters aren’t something to clean sporadically but something that must be done regularly, especially if you have a lot of trees close to your home. Contractors that handle these services may also handle bigger roof repairs or a replacement, so this step could double as a means for identifying someone to help you on those as well on down the line.
Begin saving early. Big replacement or repair expenses, like with a roof, can be a lot to cover. It is important to begin setting aside money early so you aren’t caught with a big unexpected bill and no way to cover it. This will help you to pay for more of it outright and possibly avoid needing to take out an additional loan to fund your roof repairs.
Bring in the professionals before it gets too late. Once you see your roof is approaching needing replacing, you should start to begin the process of reaching out to roofers for them to assess its condition, what they would suggest, how much it would cost and how quickly they would be able to schedule you in.
One area roofer to check out if you are in New Jersey is Peter’s Roofing, who specializes in shingle, flat roofs, siding, gutters, chimneys, skylights, and attic fans, among other services. While many might tackle smaller projects on their own, this is one most would agree is one for the professionals!
What has been your experience? If you have another thing to keep in mind regarding maintaining your roof, please drop it in the comments!
Leave a Reply