Need A New Roof With That New House?

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I was surprised to see this article in the Wall Street Journal. I was even more surprised to see that the question came from someone in Cleveland! The topic is whether or not that new house should come with a new roof. June Fletcher takes over in her article Should A Buyer Demand A New Roof?

Q. We just had the inspection on a 22-year-old house I want to buy. The inspector said that the roof showed serious signs of aging, such as split shingles. This is a major expense, and I believe the seller should pay for all or part of it. But the agent says I shouldn't push for it, since the roof isn't leaking. Is this true?

--Cleveland, Ohio

A. If your offer was contingent upon your approval of a home inspection, you can certainly ask for a credit for a roof replacement—or for anything else the inspection turned up.

Whether the seller will agree is another matter.

That's because an old roof isn't a hidden defect. You saw its condition when you toured the house and presumably took that into account when you made your offer. If you discounted the original offer because the roof was aging, and now want an additional discount, that's what agents call "double dipping"—a frowned-on practice.

Read more at WSJ