Are you considering selling your home and looking to make a good return on your investment? If so, one thing you might be thinking about is whether or not to do a roof repair. Outdated roofs can cause problems in the realty market: people won’t want to buy a house with a roof that isn’t in good condition, you might end up having to pay more for repairs after an inspection, and outdated roofs can lower a home’s curb appeal. With that being said, doing a roof repair isn’t always the answer.
In this post, we’ll go over your options for roofing when selling your home. If you’ve been wondering whether you should do some roof repairs, replace your roof, or just leave it for the buyer, we’ve got all those answers and more.
Should Sellers Fix the Roof?
The question of whether the seller should fix the roof or not all comes down to your budget, the condition your roof is in, the market you’re selling in, and what you’re looking to get out of selling your home. Here are some situations in which the seller should consider fixing or replacing a roof themselves:
- When it isn’t expensive: If fixing your roof won’t cost a lot, it might lead to an even bigger payoff when you’re selling your home. Buyers are attracted to new roof advertisements, so if it’s fairly affordable, consider going for it.
- When the market is quiet: In a hot housing market, buyers aren’t going to care as much about things like a roof because they’ll be more worried about getting any house. In a quieter market, being able to make your house stand out with a new roof could be helpful.
- When your roof is in poor condition: A roof that is falling apart or has a huge hole in it should be replaced. If your roof is more than 20 years old and needs obvious repairs, you should absolutely replace and/or fix it before selling.
- If you’re selling your home to make the most money: If you’re looking to make a lot of money out of the sale of your home, consider fixing a roof that needs repairs or replacement. Oftentimes, the price increase will be more than what you paid to fix it.
Can You Sell A Home With A Bad Roof?
There is no obligation to fix the roof of your home before selling it, especially if you can’t afford to do so. You can sell a home with a bad roof. The best thing to do in this case is to let the buyers know ahead of time that the roof will need work done. However, you should be prepared to deduct the estimated cost of roof repairs from the sale price of your home.
Should The Buyer or Seller Pay for A New Roof?
There is no hard and fast rule on who should pay for a new roof. In the end, it will come to an agreement between the two parties. If the seller has already fixed the roof, future repairs would normally fall under the responsibility of the seller. However, if the roof is in poor condition at the time of sale, the seller generally pays for it either directly out of pocket or through a price reduction in the sale of the home.
Get a Thorough Inspection of Your Roof
The only real way to know if your roof is in good condition or not is by getting a thorough inspection of your roof. While this is different from a free estimate and costs money, it will be worth it. To schedule a thorough inspection of your Arizona home’s roof, contact our team at Roofstar Arizona today.