Will a Replacement Conservatory Roof Affect Selling My House?

What buyers and their solicitors look for

When someone buys a house, their solicitor sends enquiries about alterations to the property. Any change to the structure in the last years, such as a new conservatory roof, will be asked about. The solicitor wants to know whether the work needed approval, whether it was granted and whether a certificate was issued at the end. Going from glass or polycarbonate to a tiled roof is a change that needs a Building Regulations application, so on a tiled roof the question is a real one. Our page on whether a solid roof makes a conservatory an extension explains why.

The buyer's surveyor looks at the roof as well. They will note its condition, the junction with the house, signs of damp and whether it is in keeping with the property. A clean report, backed by documents, makes the conversation short. A roof with stains, patched leaks and no paperwork invites a request for a lower price or for repairs before exchange.

The documents worth keeping

Gather a file as soon as the work is done. It should hold the Building Regulations completion certificate from your building control body, the plans and specification, the roof system's data sheet and any LABC or similar certification, the written guarantee, the invoice and photographs of the work in progress. Our own workmanship guarantee runs for ten years and is issued on paper, so you can hand it to a buyer. It is a guarantee from us, and we describe it that way. Pass the guarantee with the paperwork and make it clear who the guarantor is.

Keep photographs too, taken before the old roof was removed and as the frame and new roof were built. Buyers and surveyors like to see the structure that is now hidden beneath the tiles and insulation. Our page on conservatory roofs and Building Regulations shows what the inspector looks for at each stage.

Timing the work around a sale

If you already plan to sell, work out the order of events. A Building Regulations application takes time, and inspections happen at set stages, so a roof started a few weeks before exchange may not have its certificate in time. Conversely, a roof finished and signed off well before you list gives you a clean set of papers to show from the first viewing. If you are in the middle of a sale and a survey has flagged the roof, speak to your solicitor before agreeing to any work, because the buyer may want a say in what is done and who does it.

Also think about what you leave behind. Hand over the guarantee, the care instructions and the contact details for the installer, along with the keys, so the new owner knows who to call.

If the roof was changed without approval

It happens. A previous owner may have fitted a solid roof without telling building control, and the new owner finds out during a sale. The usual options are to apply for regularisation, which means asking the council to assess the work as built, sometimes after opening up parts of it to check the structure, or to buy an indemnity policy that covers the risk of enforcement, if the solicitor and the buyer's lender accept it. Neither is quick, and regularisation can mean extra work if the frame is not up to the load. That is why it pays to do the job properly the first time. We are not lawyers, and your solicitor can advise on which route suits your sale.

Does it add value?

We will not give a figure, because the effect on price depends on the house, the market and the room. What we can say is that a conservatory that is usable all year is easier to sell than one that is too hot or cold to sit in, and that a buyer who sees a new roof with a certificate and a guarantee has fewer worries. A solid roof also changes the way the room is described, which may affect insurance, so tell your insurer. Our guide to whether a solid conservatory roof is worth it weighs the benefits against the cost.

If you are selling soon, a repair may be enough to present the room well, and a full replacement is not always the best use of money before a sale. Our survey records the roof in pictures, and we say honestly which option makes sense, with a fixed quote in writing. Those who want to talk it through can start with our conservatory roof replacement in Basingstoke page.