Checking the roof before you bid at auction

A sale by private treaty usually leaves time for a survey, a renegotiation and a change of mind. Auction works differently. When your bid is accepted, you are normally committed, with a completion date set in the auction terms. If the roof turns out to need a large repair afterwards, that cost is yours and cannot be taken off the price.

Many auction lots are properties that need work: empty houses, probate sales, repossessions and tired rentals. A neglected roof often explains a low guide price, and it is among the costlier items to put right. The aim of a pre-bid check is not to find perfection. It is to know whether the roof is a minor job or a major one, so you can set a sensible top limit.

Our guide to why survey before a re-roof explains how the scope of a roof job is worked out, which is useful when you are estimating.

The legal pack is the set of documents the auctioneer holds for each lot, and you should read it before the sale, ideally with your solicitor. For the roof, look for a mention of previous work: a re-roof, a loft conversion, a chimney taken down or an extension. Work like this can need approvals, so ask whether certificates or completion paperwork are included. Look for any notes about damp, structural movement, insurance claims or an unusual covering such as asbestos cement sheets on a garage.

Check the tenure, and find out whose duty the roof is. A flat in a block may have a shared roof, and responsibility sits with the freeholder or management company, so the leaseholder's exposure differs from that of a house owner. Do not take the lot description as a survey. The wording is usually brief, and it may say nothing about the roof at all.

Viewings are often short and sometimes only on fixed times, so know what to look at. From outside, stand back and check the ridge line for dips, the tiles for slipped or missing ones, the chimney for leaning or loose pointing, and the gutters for plants and sagging. Moss in itself is not alarming, but large areas of bare, flaking or cracked covering are. A flat roof that holds puddles after rain is probably close to the end of its working life.

If you can enter, look in the loft for daylight, staining, wet timbers and the condition of the underlay. Check ceilings below for yellow-brown rings. Empty houses are often damp because no heating has been on, so use judgement about what is seasonal and what is a leak. Take photographs of anything you cannot judge, and send them to a roofer. Our page on how a roof is measured for a quote shows how size is worked out when you cannot get onto the roof.

Auction catalogues are published weeks ahead, and viewing slots go quickly, so arrange help early. A roofer who comes along to a viewing can study the slopes and loft and give you a rough view of whether it needs repair or replacing. A chartered surveyor can give a wider opinion of the whole building, and the right person depends on what you need to know. Our answer on roofer or surveyor sets out who is best for which purpose.

Be realistic about what a short look can show. A roofer cannot see under the covering or inside a roof void that is locked. We will say plainly what we could and could not see, with photographs. If you cannot attend, a roofer can sometimes inspect externally from the street and neighbouring land only. Ask your solicitor about access arrangements well ahead of the sale.

Many auction buyers use a bridging loan or a mortgage, and lenders look hard at condition. A roof in poor repair can stop a standard mortgage, and some lenders ask for a report or a retention until repairs are done. Ask your lender or broker before the auction what they would require, and do not assume the answer will be the same for every product. Our answer on mortgage roof reports explains what lenders commonly ask for and who provides it.

Remember that the price at the hammer is only one part of the cost. Stamp duty, fees and the auction buyer's premium are all payable, so leave room in your budget for the roof, and treat any figure you are given as a rough guide until a written quote is in hand.

Once you have a view of the roof, work out the cost of the worst realistic outcome. National cost guides give typical ranges: MyBuilder's roof inspection guide, updated in August 2026, puts a roof inspection or survey at £150 to £500, depending on the type, and its new roof guide gives typical ranges for full replacement. These are national figures, not prices for the lot in front of you, so use them for planning only.

Deduct the likely roof cost from what the house would be worth in good order, and let that set your ceiling. If a viewing is not possible, bid lower. Once the lot is yours, we can survey the roof, send pictures of what we find and follow with a written quote. A repair is recommended where a repair is enough, and our workmanship guarantee runs for 10 years in writing. Our roof inspections and surveys page shows the options. Ring 01793 626096 or use the enquiry form.