OT- Homebuying

[snowcraig2.0]

Anyone here bought a home recently?

My gf and I are in negotiations after recently having our offer accepted on a house. The house is in a great location in Cedar Rapids (Bowman Woods) and has a really open nice layout and a huge yard. Because of that, we ended up paying full price just to make sure we didn't lose the house. (Houses in the mid-market in Cedar Rapids are actually selling incredibly fast due to the influx of buyers moving out of the high-end market)

Anyway, we had the inspection done, and found that the place needs a new roof, badly. There are places where the plywood will need replaced as well as the shingles. There are already 2 layers of shingles on the roof as is.

We went ahead got an estimate which I felt was pretty reasonable. So, what does the buyer come back with? An estimate to put a 3rd layer of shingles on an already deteriorated roof. This actually concerns me greatly, because if the sellers consider this an acceptable repair on the home, what else is there that they have done half - assed like this in the house?

Anyone else had any experiences like this? Am I being over the top for being upset?

 

[keepngoal]

correct me if I am wrong... but isn't it usually against code to have 3 layers of shingles on a roof? If so, what else have they shortcutted on? I would keep looking for another house, unless the sellers make a better attempt to make things right.

-keep

 

[jtaconutz]

In my experience if you have already found some soft spots, there will be many more once you peel the shingles off. I would make them re roof the entire thing or no deal.

 

[psychlone99]

My wife and I recently bought a home in Ankeny, so we've been through this all in the last few weeks.

Were you present while the inspection was being done? If so, did the inspector find anything other than routine maintenance/repairs that concerned him? I would say that your concern that other things may have been done "half-assed" is valid, but be sure to lean on your inspector for advice. That's what you paid him for, and if he didn't find anything else to be concerned about, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

As for the roof, that estimate would be unacceptable if I were buying. A third layer of shingles isn't a good thing no matter the condition of the roof, and it would be very worrisome if they were placed on a roof with rotting plywood.

As badly as you want to keep the house, it's still a buyers market and you can make demands. I would demand an estimate for a full tear-down and re-roofing job. You have a signed purchase agreement, I assume, so you are within your rights under the terms of the PA to request something like this when the inspector finds a major structural issue.

 

[Iastfan112]

In my experience if you have already found some soft spots, there will be many more once you peel the shingles off. I would make them re roof the entire thing or no deal.

Hey at least no one fell thru the roof, I had that pleasant experience on a shed we were reroofing. No serious damage to me but when I hit the ground my first thought from the pain was "something is broken".

 

[mramseyISU]

3 layers of shingles isn't too unusual. You'd need to check with the city building inspector to see if it is legal or not. If the sheeting under the shingles is in bad shape though I'd prefer to have a new roof, sheeting and all put on. If the sheeting is in good shape then I've seen 5 layers on with no problems.

 

[keepngoal]

you may want to strike a deal, that when he replaces the roof, you will pay the difference for an upgraded shingle.

-keep.

 

[BCforISU]

IMO, you should always do a complete tear off and replace, same with siding. Do it right everytime and you should have few problems. Anytime you lay over (shingle on shingle) the same problems are still going to exist with the new shingles. There will be less life of the shingles because they may not all lay correctly, openning the door for more expenses. Totally agree, if there are soft spots you must replace the sheeting, ie, tear off and start from scratch. I would get a new estimate.

 

[jumbopackage]

One of the keys to home buying, imo, is don't buy a house just because you fall in love with it. You're going to have to live with what you buy for a LONG time, especially with the current uncertainty in the market.

You need to be prepared to walk away if you aren't completely satisfied with what you're buying.

If the roof is the only thing the inspector really had an issue with, I wouldn't be too concerned, so long as they are willing to replace it. He's seen more houses in a month than you'll see in your lifetime, and knows what he's talking about. That's why you pay him.

If I were in your shoes, I'd say "new roof, or no deal".

 

[ISUFan22]

In my experience if you have already found some soft spots, there will be many more once you peel the shingles off. I would make them re roof the entire thing or no deal.

I concur. A roof is nothing to mess around with and putting on a 3rd layer of shingles is a completely ridiculous idea.

Work out a deal where the seller pays all or almost all of the repairs, or you need to renegotiate the price - or back out all together.

Always remember, there are other houses. While you may love this one, don't let your infatuation with it blind you from what makes sense.

 

[Angie]

I concur. A roof is nothing to mess around with and putting on a 3rd layer of shingles is a completely ridiculous idea.

Work out a deal where the seller pays all or almost all of the repairs, or you need to renegotiate the price - or back out all together.

Always remember, there are other houses. While you may love this one, don't let your infatuation with it blind you from what makes sense.

^^What he said. We had a house we were going to buy - beautiful house, I was absolutely in love with it. During the inspection, they found that the siding was rotten. The seller was totally unwilling to work with us - insisted on us paying all costs and paying HIM to do the labor. Even with as much as we loved the house, we walked away. Factor in the fact that you WILL have to get a new roof sooner rather than later, and possible property damage (if he just throws on some more shingles), and just make sure that the deal you're getting on the house is worth that.

 

[CyPlainsDrifter]

Don't let your emotions drive you into a worse deal than you deserve. I would demand to have the roof replaced and make it the go, no-go on this deal. If it doesn't work out, you WILL be able to find another that you like for the right price, especially in that part of town. It's a pretty good market with quite a bit of turnover IMO.

 

[drmwevr08]

The city probably doesnt inspect such work, although they might require a permit. No inspector will tell you that 3 layers of shingles is good. Speaking as someone who bought a home that has had problems due to a 'handy' former owner I would say new roof or no deal AND make sure your inspector has gone through that place carefully for other signs of halfassed work or repairs. Paying to fix that stuff later can really add up - trust me on that one!

 

[htownclone]

Yeah, I agree. It doesn't sound like putting shingles on will fix the problem. You probably want it all taken off and you will probably want to replace plywood as well, then reshingle.

 

[keepngoal]

snowcraig: please keep us updated.

-keep.

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Update:

I talked to our roofer this morning and told him that the seller got a quote for a 3rd layer. He just laughed and then informed me that in Cedar Rapids more than 2 layers is against code. We told the seller we want a complete new roof, from the plywood up or the deal is off. I'll keep everyone up to date on 'roofgate'.

 

[keepngoal]

Update:

I talked to our roofer this morning and told him that the seller got a quote for a 3rd layer. He just laughed and then informed me that in Cedar Rapids more than 2 layers is against code. We told the seller we want a complete new roof, from the plywood up or the deal is off. I'll keep everyone up to date on 'roofgate'.

correct me if I am wrong... but isn't it usually against code to have 3 layers of shingles on a roof? If so, what else have they shortcutted on? I would keep looking for another house, unless the sellers make a better attempt to make things right.

-keep

I thought so... and most communities are the same way.

thanks for the update.

-keep.

 

[superfan]

Crap like this is why I'm glad I'm just having a house built. No previous occupants to screw it up.

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Crap like this is why I'm glad I'm just having a house built. No previous occupants to screw it up.

Yeah, we plan on being in this one for 5-10 years and then going down that road.

 

[ISUFan22]

Just to toss it out there, when you factor in sellers including listing fees and such in the prices of their house - often times it can be cheaper to build than buy.

Plus, many builders are really looking for work right now, helping that cost.

If you have not already at least looked into that (and timing isn't a huge issue for you) - I'd suggest giving it a shot.