Sagging roof on new home - I feel like I am being fobbed off by builder

[Nozzle]

All the sneering aside, I think you should pursue it with the developer. Afterall, it's not going to improve with time, it's going to affect the resale value and I'm certain the builders made a wad of profit building it so they have a vast slush fund to pay for the repair.

Nozzle

 

[dontbuyaredrowhome]

It gives the house some sorely needed character.

I agree. Looks disappointing. Thankfully the front of the house has more character!!!

 

[dontbuyaredrowhome]

All the sneering aside, I think you should pursue it with the developer. Afterall, it's not going to improve with time, it's going to affect the resale value and I'm certain the builders made a wad of profit building it so they have a vast slush fund to pay for the repair.

Nozzle

I thought it would affect the resale value too.

Never brought a new build before. Always had old houses that i strip back and put my own stamp on. Things change when you have a sick child and couldn't do that this time around. Saying that tho, we have mould in places even though no furniture is up against walls etc and the house is well ventilated. Not sure how healthy that is!!

Got an area construction manager coming and just wanted some ideas. I'm not a roofer!

 

[^woody^]

Afterall, it's not going to improve with time, it's going to affect the resale value

lol.

And lol again

 

[Nozzle]

Yes, tough on LOL and tough on the causes of LOL. See a bunch of new brick boxes on a new street that are all supposed to be the same, but two of them have sagging tiles? It's really going to make a prospective buyer think twice. And problems don't fix themselves.

Nozzle

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Just what is the problem? Is there actually something wrong with the roof.

 

[catlad]

Well they may have string lined the front perfectly but trusses will be fabricated
in a warehouse somewhere and it could just be a badly graded piece of timber
that wasn't spotted until it was being tiled. Then my guess is they just thought
f##k it I can't be bothered doing anything about it now.

They are fobbing you off of course its not very professional
to let that standard of workmanship pass.

 

[dontbuyaredrowhome]

Well they may have string lined the front perfectly but trusses will be fabricated
in a warehouse somewhere and it could just be a badly graded piece of timber
that wasn't spotted until it was being tiled. Then my guess is they just thought
f##k it I can't be bothered doing anything about it now.

They are fobbing you off of course its not very professional
to let that standard of workmanship pass.

This was the surveyors view!

 

[^woody^]

Yes, tough on LOL and tough on the causes of LOL. See a bunch of new brick boxes on a new street that are all supposed to be the same, but two of them have sagging tiles? It's really going to make a prospective buyer think twice. And problems don't fix themselves.

Nozzle

Can you quantify by how much this type of roof (ie a roof without a problem) is going to affect the resale value of a property? I'm intrigued

 

[^woody^]

This was the surveyors view!

If you have had a professional survey, then he should have told you what is wrong with the roof. Has he?

 

[Nozzle]

Can you quantify by how much this type of roof (ie a roof without a problem) is going to affect the resale value of a property? I'm intrigued

No, I can't quantify it. It's a qualitative element when someone rocks up to a house and is looking for aspects of it to cut the price down. Roofs on new houses are true and square, roofs on old houses are crooked because they're old. Crooked roofs on new houses are gash, and is letting a housing developer get away with less than a great job.

My suggestion to the OP is get the developer to rectify it, your suggestion is nothing needs rectifiying, and therefore it is okay to let the developer take the OP's cash without any challenge.

Nozzle

 

[^woody^]

it's going to affect the resale value

It's a qualitative element when someone rocks up to a house and is looking for aspects of it to cut the price down

But the sale price is arrived at by a valuer - the market value. And the market value is not at all affected by the roof tiles being out of line. ie the exact house next door with the same features but straight rows of tiles, will have the same market value.

No seller in their right mind will reduce the asking price below the market value on the basis of someone looking up at he roof and saying "I want some money off". The basis of a reduction in price is arrived at by having a good reason such as a definable defect, which would be after a proper survey. And neither can a surveyor or valuer say "Ask for some money off because the tiles aren't straight". So its not something that the OP should be worried by.

I've never ever heard of a house sale price being reduced because the buyer says that the tiles are not in line. That's just bizarre.
A buyer may as well say they don't like the front door paint so want £100 off.

 

[dontbuyaredrowhome]

The surveyor thought it was a very poor finish. The pictures I have posted are sympathetic and I am unable to take a clear enough picture that truely reflects the poor finish. Redrow did send the roofing contractor to see us who agreed that section of the roof needed to be taken off, the wood underneath to be levelled and cut back (can't remember the exact terminology used) and the tiles replaced. The roofer agreeded it was not a settlement problem and would only get worse with time. He agreed it was not the best finish.

BUT... surprise surprise, when the Redrow received the report and that it would cost them they went back on their word of "getting it all fixed if we completed" and are denying all knowledge of the conversation. The surveyor was present and had noted the conversation and advised that on the proviso the problems would be rectified we should continue to complete. The surveyor and our solicitor where both annoyed we were given less than 48 hours to snag before completion.

We also have a problem with one side of the house brickwork that is well below standard. Another problem Redrow had said they would rectify by taking down part of the outer wall and rebuild. And AGAIN they have gone back on their word and again and are denying any conversation happened with the. Instruction manager on the day.

We have a driveway that puddles when raining, a porch that was unsupported when the tikes went in so it dropped significantly and despite the post being installed after makes little difference.

They did however centralise every radiator before we moved in which were approximately 3/4 foot out under every window.

I feel aggrieved that because the build was late I paid an extra 16,000 in 2nd property tax and the house is still unfinished and I've lived in it for 6 months already. Wouldnt mind if it was built to the high standard the show homes were built to! That is the standard we thought we were buying

 

[noseall]

It looks like they have not used any rafters at all

Quite.
I'm seeing a number of doubled up trusses in there, probably something to do with dormers or such like on the front elevation. The double truss above and to the left of the central rear window is the offender. They could have tried to halve the deficit at least.

Sometimes when doubled up trusses are fixed together (at the manufacturers) they are slightly out of line with each other, thus creating this annoying anomaly. A bulge is far harder to deal with than a depression because no material can be removed from the truss chords. A complete new truss would mean a huge amount of work. You could maybe do something with a thinner batten over the offending truss.

Whilst there is little if any detraction with the performance of the roof, it does look visually 'annoying'. It looks like a modern version of a tired semi or terrace whereby the inadequate rafters have sagged and the property dividing wall has stayed put, resulting in the usual bulge. This can also be seen at verges where the same thing happens.

 

[dontbuyaredrowhome]

Quite.
I'm seeing a number of doubled up trusses in there, probably something to do with dormers or such like on the front elevation.

Thanks. There are no dormers at the front.