Buying a House in Jersey or Guernsey? Get the Roof Checked First
Buying a house in Jersey or Guernsey? Get the roof checked first
The roof is the single most expensive thing to get wrong on a property — and the part a standard survey often sees least of. Here's why a pre-purchase drone survey is worth it before you commit.
You're buying a home in Jersey or Guernsey. The survey comes back, the solicitor's busy, and everyone's keen to push on. But there's one part of the property that can quietly cost tens of thousands to put right — and it's the part nobody got a proper look at. The roof.
01Why the roof is the biggest hidden risk
A full roof replacement on a typical island property can run into many thousands of pounds — far more on a larger, granite or listed building. Yet the roof is also the hardest part of the house to inspect properly. Problems live where you can't see them from the ground: the back slope, the chimney flashings, the hidden valleys, the ridge.
Get it wrong and you inherit someone else's deferred maintenance the day you collect the keys.
02What a standard homebuyer survey often misses
A typical homebuyer or building survey is enormously useful — but for the roof, surveyors are usually limited to what they can see from ground level or out of an upstairs window, often noted with the caveat that the roof "could not be fully inspected." That's not a criticism of the surveyor; it's a limitation of safe access. The result is that the most expensive component on the property frequently gets the least direct examination.
03Channel Island housing stock has its own quirks
Jersey and Guernsey have a beautiful but demanding building stock — granite townhouses, steep slate roofs, complex valleys and chimneys, coastal exposure and plenty of period and listed property. These are exactly the roofs where condition matters most and where ground-level inspection reveals least. Knowing what you're taking on before you commit is simply good sense.
Know the roof before you exchange
A close-up, dated, independent drone survey of the roof you're buying — so there are no expensive surprises after completion.
Book a pre-purchase survey04How a pre-purchase drone survey works
- We arrange access and fly. A CAA-licensed drone captures the entire roof in close-up 4K — around an hour on site, no scaffolding.
- We assess every element. Coverings, flashings, ridges, valleys, chimneys, gutters — the whole roof, including the slopes nobody else sees.
- You get an independent report. Dated imagery and a clear condition assessment, delivered in 2–3 days — in good time before exchange.
05Use the findings to make a better decision
A pre-purchase survey doesn't just protect you — it gives you leverage. If the roof needs work, you have dated, independent evidence to:
- Renegotiate the price to reflect the cost of repairs
- Ask the seller to put things right before completion
- Budget accurately for work you'll take on
- Walk away, informed, if it's more than you bargained for
It's a small cost against the biggest purchase of your life. Buying in Jersey or Guernsey? Get the roof checked first — book a pre-purchase survey and buy with your eyes open.
Frequently asked
Can you survey a property I don't own yet?
Yes — we just need the seller's or agent's permission for access to fly over the property. Most are happy to allow it; a quick word with the estate agent usually sorts it. Tell us the situation when you book.
Will it be ready before I exchange?
The flight is quick and the written report follows in 2–3 days (weather permitting), so as long as there's a little time before exchange we can fit it in. Let us know your timeline and we'll prioritise.
Is it worth it on a newer property?
Often, yes — even newer roofs can have poor flashing detail, blocked valleys or installation faults that only show from above. And on older granite, slate or listed properties it's almost always worthwhile given the cost of putting a roof right.
How is this different from my building survey?
A building survey covers the whole property but is usually limited to what the surveyor can see safely from the ground. A drone survey gets close-up imagery of the entire roof surface — including slopes and details a ground-level inspection can't reach — so the most expensive part of the house is properly examined.
Buying? Know the roof before you commit
A pre-purchase drone roof survey shows you the true condition of the roof — close-up, dated and independent — before you exchange. Quick to arrange, and far cheaper than a surprise.
Book a pre-purchase survey
Capture (C.I) Limited · CAA-licensed drone roof surveys across Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark & Herm · 07797 762644
