I just purchased my first home with a supposed “NEW” roof but I have non stop leaks.

Me and My partner are first time buyers, we have just purchased a maisonette in south London. We had multiple viewings of the property (in summer and early autumn) everything was fine. We where told various times on many occasions that the roof was redone in March 2023. We was provided with a copy of the guarantee etc by the seller a little later on, but we have a copy in hand. With all of this provided and no evidence of leaks nothing was ever flagged. We received the keys in December 2023 and within 2 weeks noticed a large considerable leak appearing. Overtime growing and growing. I was provided the details for the roofer/company that did the “NEW” Roof and this is where the rabbit hole opened. I contacted him via phone call and was met with a stand off ish tone and reluctance to come and take a look at the work to repair the leak. I was promised a call back but never received it. I then left a message via whatsapp asking him to confirm a date and time and to my shock horror I found that his whatsapp picture was just simply a black background with bold letters saying ‘ON HOLD’ and the profile description as ‘Business closed, too stressful’. Whilst I spent time attempting to reach this dodgy contractor the leak became 2 leaks which was excessively growing. He eventually replied and promised me that he would visit on Sunday and confirm a time on Friday/Saturday. Again that call never came. I couldn’t wait any longer. I contacted 4 roofers that where recommended to us by neighbours, friends and family. 3 of which came in person and all said the same, the roof was done poorly and the recommendation was ultimately it should be totally re done. We do not have the funds to completely start from scratch. We went with one of the roofers who did a great job and has patched the main leak but as time goes on more and more leaks are slowly appearing. I don’t want to ultimately end up spending a small fortune patching the roof but its all I can afford right now. I need some advice with what options I have and if I can take this to ultimately claim something to pay for the roof to be rodone PROPERLY I appreciate this may not be 100% relevant but thank you for all and any help. Cheers, Ben

Answer-

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Hi Ben,

I’m very sorry to hear about the difficulties you’re facing with the new roof on your recently purchased home. This is definitely a frustrating and stressful situation. Based on the information provided, here are a few thoughts and suggestions:

1. Document everything. Keep records of all communications with the original roofer, photos/videos of the leaks and damage, invoices for repairs done so far, etc. This documentation will be crucial if you decide to pursue any legal claims.

2. Review the roof warranty/guarantee that was provided to you. See what it covers and what the process is for making a claim if the work was defective. There may be a window to file a claim.

3. Look into your rights as a homebuyer. Depending on where you live, there may be consumer protection laws that provide recourse if there was misrepresentation about the condition of the home during the sale.

4. Consider sending a demand letter to the original roofer and seller, laying out the issues and costs incurred so far, and requesting they cover the full replacement of the roof per the original claims. Consult with a real estate attorney first.

5. As a last resort, you may need to pursue legal action against the roofer and/or seller to try to recover costs of properly replacing the roof if they do not respond satisfactorily.

I know this is an extremely difficult situation, but documenting everything and understanding your rights as a homebuyer will be key first steps. Consulting a real estate attorney can also help guide you through the options for seeking compensation. Don’t lose hope – you may be able to get the roof replaced properly without bearing the full costs.