As a contractor or roofing specialist, the demographic for your work will depend heavily on your background and expertise – but the vast majority of customers for roof repair in the UK are domestic ones, seeking last-minute tiling fixes or roof replacement services as part of renovation.
One difficult part of this corner of the industry can be communicating to your customers – both existing and potential – exactly how crucial proper roof repair is to the management of a home. There are various factors at play, all of which make a proper and considered approach to roofing essential to any modern renovation project. What are these reasons, and how can you communicate them to your clients?
Damage Mitigation
The roof performs a simple and essential function – and its proper functioning is instrumental to maintaining the condition of a given property over time. Failing tiles and gutters give way to leaks, infiltration into walls and floors and costly damp problems.
These issues are more likely to arise in older roofs, representing potentially existential problems for a house – not to mention cascading costs. By catching a problem early and investing in proper renovation, the client can protect themselves from unnecessary issues and costs.
Energy Efficiency
One emerging issue in the housing market relates to the energy efficiency of domestic properties. With energy bills having risen by more than double since 2021, and showing no sign of coming back down, energy costs are now a much larger proportion of the average household budget.
Good new roofing systems are naturally more energy efficient than older processes and disciplines. New materials are a key part of the equation; the pairing of fibreglass insulation with thermal plasterboard sheeting enables the creation of an effective roof and attic space, that maintains a solid cushion of air and limits heat transfer. By encouraging your clients to think properly about roof renovation, they can look forward to greatly reduced energy bills through the reduction in heat loss from convection.
Adding Value
The above provisions have knock-on impacts not just for homeowner comfort and costs in the short and long-term, but also for the value of the property as a whole. The new materials involved in proper roof renovation alone add value to the property, but value is not attributed via materials and labour alone.
Aesthetics can also have an impact on price, as well as the bidding habits of potential future buyers. The increased energy efficiency of the home will bring with it a tidy increase in value, and the knowledge that the roof will not present any new issues is likely to give potential buyers more confidence in putting their money forward.
These value impacts can bear fruit in the shorter term, as well; your client may be renovating a rental property, where issues with the roof or energy efficiency could bring their own costs in the form of government-mandated repairs, tenancy rehabilitation and decreased market interest. Newer roofing systems and repairs increase the appeal of a rental property, and minimise the cost of emergency fixes.