January 20, 1999

Some Repairs Part of House-Buying

By Susan Trudeau
Real Estate Writer

Let’s talk about longevity.

The longevity of such things as your roof, appliances and furnace.

Those of you who have dealt with a home inspection during the process of purchasing a house may have heard the statement “houses go on indefinitely, but some of the parts wear out and need replacement on a fairly predictable basis.”

That’s a statement Dan Bowers of Holmes Inspection Co., Kansas City, uses to preface many of his inspections.

We all know things are going to wear out - it’s “when” that should concern us.

Suppose the inspector checks out the 16-year-old roof of your prospective home and finds that it doesn’t leak. Then he looks down the block at the rest of the houses, built at about the same time and sees they have new roofs.

He will probably warn you that you will soon face a roof replacement.

“Tires can get all the way down to bald and some people will continue to drive them,” Bowers said. “What one person accepts, another will run screaming down the street (to avoid).”

One of the problems Bowers, and most other inspectors, encounters is the possibility of scaring away home purchasers. It’s something real estate agents worry about a good deal. Bowers says they shouldn’t.

“The more thorough we are, the more we scare the agents,” he said. “I’m not a repair contractor. I have no financial interest in the home. It would be so much easier to sit down with the buyer and seller and work things out to everyone’s satisfaction.”

Knowing your roof will probably need re placement in five years or your air conditioner is several years past its expected life span shouldn’t necessarily stop you from purchasing the home.

Other options include negotiating a lower price, agreeing to split repair costs or, if you are al ready getting a fair deal, just budgeting for the expected expense.

With that sa4 here are some expected life spans and replacement costs of various components within a home, complements of a book let provided free by Bowers.

LIFE SPANS FOR EQUIPMENT

(This does not include minor repairs for such items as heating elements.)

• Air conditioning compressor ... 8-15 years

• Heat pump ... 6-12 years

• Forced-air gas furnace ... 15-20 years

• Electric furnaces … 15-20 years

• Hot water heaters ... 8-12 years

• Dishwasher ... 7-12 years

• Range & oven ... 15-20 years

REPLACEMENT COSTS

• Replace compressor … $700-$1,100

• Replace furnace … $1,100- $1,800

• Replace water heater ... $225-$475

• Install asphalt/fiber glass shingles ... $0.60-$1.50 per square foot

FIRST ROOFING EXPECTED LIFESPAN

• Composition shingle roofing ... 12-16 years

2^ND ROOF OVER EXISTING SHINGLES

• Roll roofing ... 6-10 years

• Wood shake roofing … 18-24 years

• Wood shingle roofing ... 16-20 years

• Slate roof ... 40-80 years

OVER EXISTING ROOF

• Install asphalt fiberglass shingles ... $1-$1.50 per square foot

REMOVE OLD ROOF

• Replace rolled roofing … $1-$1.25 per square

• Strip & replace cedar shingles  ... $4-$6 per square foot

• Strip & replace cedar shakes ... $5-$7 per square foot

The booklet, tilled “1998-1999 Life Cycles and Approximate Costs to Repair/Replace Up grade,” is available from Bowers by calling 649-8878.

The booklet is also a handy guide to repair and replacement costs and is a useful reference for any homeowner.