Updated maintenance items are important when selling your home. Nowhere is that truer than when it comes to the roof. National roof replacement costs range, on average, from $6,725-$9,000, per RoofingCalc. However, that assumes a basic composition shingle roof, and it’s hardly indicative of premium materials.
But there is plenty of debate out there as to whether replacing your roof adds value at all. Some realtors get raked over the coals for claiming it doesn’t. Their thinking goes something like this. While a new home can definitely tickle a prospect’s buying bone, it won’t actually cause the home to sell for more than it would otherwise.
The Truth About Roof Replacements When Selling
Thinking like the above is flawed because it assumes a home is sellable at any price regardless of a roof’s condition. If you have a home that sells for $140,000 with a good roof, in other words, that home will not sell at all — or at least, without a deep discount — with a bad one.
The reason for this: homebuyers know the additional costs that come with letting a bad roof go unchecked. They know that leaks and mold and cave-ins are all possibilities, and that can mean many, many thousands of dollars in repairs if they don’t get the roof replaced immediately.
And if they do get the replacement, they’re also aware they’ve got another $10,000-or-more expense to address on top of the sale price of the home. Therefore, they won’t purchase the home unless they can get a discount to allow for the extra “wiggle room” to address the roof replacement in a timely manner.
So if you’re not comfortable saying a roof replacement adds value to the home, then you have to admit said home won’t sell for as much, or at all, without one. With that in perspective, how much is a new roof truly worth?
The Last Thing a Homebuyer Wants
The last thing a home buyer wants to do is to spend a ton of money to fix something on a home they’ve just purchased. The normal inspection process will catch any issues the roof may have. Therefore, you need to worry less about semantics — i.e., the “does-it or does-it-not add value argument” — and more about sellability. In that case, it’s pretty clear the incentive replacing your roof creates is not only worth it but essential to selling your home quickly and at a satisfying price.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a roof replacement, let us help you through the process. Griffith Roofing has many years of experience working with clients on material selection, installation, and post-work cleanup. We take great pride in our work and believe you will, too. Contact us today to learn more.
[Featured Image by Flickr Creative Commons]
