As parents prepare home for sale, rotten eaves problem turns into a gaping hole in the roof — and the bill skyrockets
Q: My parents are in the process of preparing their home for sale. One could see that the roofing eaves by the chimney were rotten. The eaves were written up in the termite report. Today I stopped by and there was a hole in my parents’ roof surrounding the chimney, approximately 8 feet wide and 10 feet long. We knew we had to hire roofers to remove the roofing so that the termite workers can replace the eaves. The chimney and roof inspectors called out the original 1952 chimney flashing in their respective reports.
The construction woodpile in the backyard consists of water-damaged or termite-infested boards. The alarming issue is that solid wood boards that are in pristine condition were also cut out of the roof. One of the termite workers whispered to me it was unnecessary to remove so much good wood so far up the roof. A series of termite inspectors from the same firm kept coming out and ordering more roof wood members to be removed and replaced. Three termite inspectors are now involved, including the original one who wrote the report. All this prompted the roofers to come back at $100 per hour. My 80-yearold mother signed change orders for over $6,000 for the termite firm throughout one workday. The original termite bid for the eaves was $1,985. The initial roofer’s bill was estimated to be $1,000. Thanks to this gaping hole in the living room ceiling, roof work now is expected to be over $4,000 for two roofers on three trips. How do I get these bills down without getting the termite worker who validated my suspicions in trouble?
A: In pursuit of the almighty Section 1 Termite Clearance, damaged and occasionally undamaged wood members will be removed. However, this firm has issues not in their favor: pristine wood members in the junk pile, a construction worker stating some work was overkill, different inspectors insisting on more demolition and having an older adult sign change orders. You don’t need your confirming whistleblower. And the roofers are faultless.
Share the chain of events voice to voice to the termite firm’s supervisor. Inform him or her that this smacks of financial elder abuse. You’ll hear or see the bill shrink within hours, if not minutes.
Have a question? Know someone who is thinking of moving? Full-service Realtor Pat Kapowich, Siliconvalleybroker. com, provides turnkey services, including relocation, staging, market analysis and strategic planning. Call 408-245-7700 or email Pat@ Siliconvalleybroker. com. Broker License 00979413.