Raise the Roof: The very unsexy side of renovating - Part 1

It’s hard not to get swept up in the idea of renovating your home after just a quick scroll through Instagram, or a few hours of watching HGTV. I mean could Chip and Joanna make it look any more appealing?!?! The houses they design are nothing short of drool worthy. But there is a much less sexy side of renovating that doesn’t get talked about often. I mean you won’t see Sarah Richardson host a show about removing mold from your basement, or adding insulation to your attic. While these things may be a lot less sexy than a new kitchen, they are a worthwhile investment. In Part 1 of our multi part series, we’ll look at some renovations that don’t typically rank high on the priority list, but they are a worthwhile investment that you’ll thank yourself for doing.Raising The Roof (Literally)When we had our home inspected prior to purchase, we were told our roof had a few more years left. Well a severe wind storm on the heels of a late season ice storm proved that wasn’t the case.Lucky for us the damage wasn’t too bad and our home insurance was going to cover a large portion of it. We could have had the roof repaired but we chose to replace the whole thing. Sounds crazy but hear me out. Further inspection of the damage revealed that the roof was likely not done professionally. The shingles were not installed correctly and they hadn’t used enough nails to secure them. They also didn’t put down a protective membrane to create a barrier between the plywood roof and the shingles. So we ripped the whole thing off and had it replaced. We also had them install some additional roof vents which allows for greater air flow and will help to extend the life of the roof (especially if you decide to go with black like we did and why wouldn’t you it looks stunning!).Take Nike’s Advice & “Just Do It”I’ll be the first one to admit how much it sucks to devote such a large sum of money to something as unfun as a roof. I certainly won’t be taking pics of it for social media #nobodycaresaboutyournewroof. But as the roofer explained to us, not only does a roof in need of replacing look bad, it has the potential to cause a lot of problems you can’t see.Messy On The InsideA roof at the end of its life isn’t providing the protection your house needs, so you’re likely spending additional money in heating and cooling costs. As well, it’s not keeping out the elements as it was designed to. That means water (in the form of snow or rain) can get into your attic and cause damage. Think wet insulation, mold, ice issues, the list goes on... You definitely don’t want to deal with the fallout from any of those (mold remediation can cost double or even triple of what a new roof does).In the end, unless you buy a brand new home (and even then given some of the stories I’ve heard from friends and family) you’re eventually going to have to spend money on the essentials. While they may not be Instagram worthy, they will increase the value of your home which means more money for you if you decide to sell or refinance and need an appraisal. Now who doesn’t love increased equity?The real side of renovations to be continued...