When getting ready to sell a home, sellers and buyers alike elect to have their homes inspected. Buyers want to ensure that nothing is drastically wrong with their potential dream home, while sellers want to ensure that buyers know their house is worth buying. In order to prepare for a home inspection, sellers tend to scrutinize every part of their house for potential problems. It is understandable to want to fix potential problems before an inspector has the chance to address them, and Do-It-Yourself home fixes can actually save sellers a substantial amount of money, as long as they leave more dangerous home improvement projects to the professionals. However, it is important, when sellers give their home a once-over before an inspector looks at it, to not forget about the roof.
If the roof appears to be outwardly secure and sturdy, many people do not take the time to look at it closely. However, the roof is one of the few things that, if containing problems, can make a buyer uninterested in a property. Technically, roofs should be able to last a few decades at least. However, if they are installed incorrectly when the house is built, or if they are damaged in some way, their lifespan is much shorter. Replacing a roof can cost tens of thousands of dollars, which is enough of an incentive for a buyer not to look at a house with a faulty roof.
Sellers should first take time to determine how old their roof is. Then, they should look more closely at the drainpipe to ensure that it is cleaned out and working properly. Additionally, I would suggest examining the shingles on the roof to see if any are cracked or missing. Dry rot is also something to make sure your roof does not have, as it can make being in the house dangerous. Also, keep an eye out for moss and lichen, which could signify that parts of the roof are undergoing decay.
After you fully inspect your roof, you have a few options for repairing any damages you may have found. The easiest is to hire a roofer to fix the issues for you. This is most likely the safest method of repairing your roof, although it may not be the most cost-effective. If the problems with the roof are minor, such as a few cracked or broken shingles, there are also ways to do the repairs yourself. However, if there are more dire problems with the roof, such as age and decay, I would recommend replacing the roof entirely before the house goes on the market.