We recently inspected a property in Southbourne that my clients were aware had problems with the roof, namely roof spread, with the agent helpfully suggesting that all was required was a few additional supporting timbers.

Fortunately, our inspection revealed that the vendor had effectively encapsulated the timber rafters with roofing felt stapled to the underside of the rafter; with no ventilation from the eaves, this action had created the perfect conditions for the timbers to soften and for rot to manifest, which had exacerbated the roof spread problem with the result that the inner walls of the cavity had been pushed outwards, taking a budget of £5K for minor roof strengthening to £40K + for renewal of most of the roof structure and associated rebuilding.

So the moral of this little story is…… Always get a second opinion - whether this is from a building surveyor or qualified builder/roofer - it could save you a great deal of money!