Living in Houston rain, thunderstorms, and hurricanes come with the territory. After a couple of rainy seasons or following a recent downpour, you may have noticed you have a leaky roof. What should you do next? A leaky roof can be an indication of a couple of things going on with your home. You may decide that selling your house would be a lot easier than fixing a leaky roof. But how do you go about selling a house that needs a new roof?
Selling a home is hard enough, adding a known issue to the mix could be a problem that may affect selling your house quickly. So what is the next move? Well, if you have a leaky roof in Houston, you came to the right place to find some useful steps to sell your home fast, leaking roof, and all.
Steps To Sell A House With Leaky Roof In Houston
Why Is A Leaking Roof A Big Deal?
Keeping a property that has a bad roof can be unsafe. A leaking roof can eventually damage other parts of your home too. Water leaks usually affect the attic first and then behind the interior ceiling. Once the water reaches the interior ceiling, water damage can drift to fans and ceiling mounted lights—damaging nice ceiling paint and finishes.
If a leak hasn’t been touched for a long time, the risk of mold and mildew growth is very likely. Even the experts find getting rid of mold and mildew expensive and challenging. Furthermore, mold and mildew are terrible for your house, and it is also harmful to your health. Being exposed to mold and mildew can cause allergy flare-ups, nasal congestion, and asthma. Furthermore, water leaks may compromise your home’s structural stability, posing a potential fire hazard and risk of slip and fall accidents.
If you’re planning to sell your house, you have two options: either repair the roof or sell the home as-is.
Why Do Roofs Leak?
Let’s take a step back and look into why roofs leak in the first place and determine what you can do to repair the damage before deciding to sell it. When you discover the cause, you will have a better understanding of how much time and money you will need to spend on fixing the roof.
Many people fail to remember or simply forget that roofs are subject to wear and tear laws. Typically, at most, a roof in Houston has a life expectancy of 20 years. General wear and tear are caused by changing temperatures and weather conditions. Over time, roofing materials become brittle from heat and exposure to the sun, which melts the tar holding the shingles in place. So one reason your roof is leaking could be that it’s time for a new roof, but another possibility is overdue repair work.
Living in Houston roofs can get a beating depending on the time of year. Thunderstorms, high winds, and hurricane conditions can cause damage to your roof. During the rainy season, debris from leaves, twigs, and pine needles can also trap water on your roof. Over time, when water settles on the rooftop, it may begin to slowly seep into narrow spaces, making it necessary to cut and trim the surrounding tree branches by your roof. Maintaining the area around your house will go a long way in ensuring that your roof remains debris-free.
Another way water can find a path through the roof of your house is through a cracked chimney. Periodically, checking the mortar joints where the chimney links to the roof would be a good idea. The mortar joints may appear firmly in place, but corrosion may still occur from time to time. Unfortunately, this is not a preventable action because mortar is composed of cement, water, and sand consolidation—the combination of these elements is bound to have general wear and tear. Regularly checking your roof is the best course of action to help prevent future problems.
How To Sell A House That Needs A New Roof
Typical buyers aren’t looking for a house that instantly needs work as soon as they move in. So when it comes to selling your home, you really have two options: either fix your leaky roof in Houston or sell your house as-is. Before you decide to put your house on the market, you need to decide which option works for you. Both have their pros and cons. Let’s take a look at each scenario and the steps involved.
Fixing A Leaky Roof In Houston
Repairing a roof is a tricky task for anyone to do. Besides being time-consuming, repairs are also expensive. When it comes to roof repairs hiring a professional would be advised. However, it may be a good idea to access the damage yourself before calling for several quotes since some contractors can give quotes blown out of proportion. Here are some steps to follow when it comes to fixing your leaky roof.
Step 1: Access the damage
A roof with large-scale damage won’t cost the same as a roof with small scale damage. Roofers usually determine their rates by the square foot. Shingles are generally sold in bundles -therefore, even if you have minimal roof damage, maybe even a couple of feet, you could end up paying more and have extra shingles leftover.
Besides checking the roof, you should access chimneys, gutters, and any framing around the house for rotten wood. Since you are hiring someone to fix the roof, you might as well have them fix any other problems.
Step 2: Figure out the type of roofing materials you need
Roofing materials are not cheap, and depending on the type of roof you pick will influence how much you spend. A couple of factors that affect price are
- Size
- Pitch
- Roof type
In Houston, the most common residential roof shingles are made from asphalt. Asphalt shingles are generally the most affordable. As far as cost, to replace a roof in Houston is between $6,000 to $8,000 for a shingle roof. There are other roofing materials available but are more expensive.
Step 3: Make sure you have repair permits
In Houston, you will need a permit to do roof repairs. If the job is extensive, you may need roof plans submitted with your permit application. If you plan to hire a professional roofing contractor, they typically handle applying for the permits, but you may have to apply for it yourself. When hiring a roofing contractor, make sure to confirm who is applying for the permit. The Houston Permitting Center grants permits and will take about 10 business days to process your application.
Step 4: Figure out who is doing the repairs
When it comes to roofs, it would be a good idea to hire professionals. They have years of experience, the tools, and equipment to fix your leaky roof. As tempting as it may be to save some money and do the work yourself, that may not be the best idea. Using ladders and getting on top of your roof can be dangerous. So if you aren’t confident that you can complete the repairs correctly or safely, seek professional expertise.
Step 5: Finish the roof repair and list your house
Once you have made the necessary repairs to your roof, you can finally list your property. Typically to replace a roof takes 2-3 days, but that is as long as the roofer you work with is available right away, you may have to wait a few weeks until they have an opening in their schedule.
Once you list your home be prepared to wait, though; most houses in Houston sell after being on the market for 67 days. So you may not see a return on your investment right away.
How To Sell A House As-Is
Selling as-is is an attractive option for homeowners who just want to be rid of their house that needs a new roof. Besides saving you the time and money that it would take to fix a leaky roof, you also can hand over any other issues to someone else. Investing in a leaky roof is hard to justify when you’re about to move out anyway. Ideally, the best way to avoid the hassle of selling a house that needs a new roof is to sell to an as-is buyer. Selling a home as-is is very easy and only involves one step
Find an as-is buyer
It’s that simple to be rid of your leaky roof in Houston. And to make the search even easier for you, meet Very Fast Home Buyers. Very Fast Home Buyers is a home buying company in Houston, Texas, that buys houses for cash.
We buy houses in any condition, including leaky roofs, and can pay cash for your house no matter what other repairs are needed. We’re local home buyers in Houston that can help you sell your house fast. There are no commissions, fees, agents, or hassles when working with us. We can also close in as little as 7 days, so there isn’t any guessing when your house will sell. You choose the closing date and move on your schedule.
If you’re looking for the easiest and fastest way to sell a house that needs a new roof, look no further than Very Fast Home Buyers. To find out how it works and about our company, please visit our website. We are ready to make you a fair cash offer today!