The short answer
Within the first year, study the roof from the garden, go into the loft on a dry day, check gutters and downpipes in rain, and keep the survey report and any photographs. You are looking for slipped tiles, daylight, stains and damp timber. Anything doubtful is worth a roofer's inspection before it becomes a leak.
Why check when you have just had a survey
A buyer's survey is a snapshot taken from the ground, the loft hatch and sometimes a ladder. It is written for a lender or a purchase decision, not as a maintenance plan, and it often says that parts of the roof could not be seen. By the time you move in, weeks or months have passed, a winter may have gone by, and you now have the chance to look properly, at your own pace, with the keys in your hand.
The first year is also when you learn the house. Where does the water go in heavy rain? Which rooms are damp in the cold months? A small change from the survey notes, such as a stain that has grown, is more telling than any single look. Our guide to how often a roof should be inspected sets out the usual rhythm, and this page covers the first look.
Walking round the outside first
Pick a clear day, take binoculars if you have them, and walk right round the house. You are hunting for tiles or slates sitting out of line, any that have slipped or split, breaks along the ridge, and moss in thick patches. Check the chimney stack for crumbling pointing and a gap at the flashing, the lead strip that seals the stack to the roof.
Look at the gutters and fascias. Sagging gutters, stains on the wall below a joint and plants growing out of the gutter all point to trouble. Check the fascia and soffit boards, the timber and plastic under the eaves, for rot, flaking paint or gaps.
Glance at any flat roof over an extension or porch as well, since these tend to tire before the main slopes do. If anything looks wrong, take a photograph from where you stand. Never climb onto the roof yourself.
Inside the loft
Choose a dry afternoon, carry a torch and step only on the joists, never the plasterboard between them. Switch the torch off for a moment: any daylight coming through is a gap in the covering. Scan the timbers beneath the slopes for dark staining, drips, damp patches on the timbers and any smell of mould. Check where pipes and cables pass through, and around the chimney breast, which is a frequent source of damp.
Look at the insulation too. If it is wet, flattened or missing in places, mention it. Condensation, the film of water left when warm moist air touches cold timber, can pass for a leak, and good ventilation at the eaves matters. Our page on inspecting a roof in the rain explains why a wet day can help you see where water is actually getting in.
If the loft is full of stored boxes from the last owner, clear a path so you can reach the edges.
Rain, gutters and the first big storm
The first heavy shower after you move in is a free test. Look out of the window while it rains. Is water spilling over a gutter edge, pouring from a joint or splashing down a wall? Does a downpipe run freely, or does it overflow at the top? Dry weather hides these faults, so a quick look from the doorway in a downpour is worth the damp coat.
After a storm or strong wind, walk round once more and look for slates and tiles in the garden, or a sudden gap in the ridge. Look over the ceilings and upper walls of the rooms beneath the roof for fresh marks. If something is wrong, note the date and take photographs, which helps any later repair.
Leaves and moss collect over winter, so clear gutters from the ground using a safe tool, or have them cleared as part of a roof visit.
Old and new surveys: what to keep
Keep your buyer's survey and any photographs from the sale, together with any guarantees for previous roof work. Ask the previous owner or solicitor whether there are papers for re-roofing, a chimney removal or a loft conversion. Work like that may have needed a Building Regulations application, so it is worth asking the seller's solicitor whether the paperwork exists.
If the survey flagged the roof, you will want a more detailed look. Our guide to what to do when a survey flags the roof helps with the next step, and our answer on roof survey versus building survey explains what each covers. If you are curious about heat loss, thermal roof surveys show how imaging works and where it falls short.
When to call a roofer
Book a visit if you find daylight in the loft, fresh staining, wet insulation, slipped or missing tiles, a cracked chimney flashing or a gutter that will not drain. None of these gets better by itself. We give priority to leaks and storm damage, and water coming in is stopped first.
What comes back is a set of photographs showing your roof, then a written quote. A small repair is proposed where it settles the matter; where the roof needs more, you are told exactly why. Workmanship is guaranteed for 10 years, in writing. Browse everything we do on our roof inspections and surveys page, then ring 01793 626096 or write to us through the website.
New owners often ask what to do first. Our usual advice is to start with the loft and the gutters, because they cost nothing and show the most.