The advise I'm getting is not that I should have a dodgy job done, but that the roof can definitely be repaired to a sound state and beautified by a coat of paint. Doing that would be much less expensive than replacing the roof, and will keep either me or a buyer dry for a good while longer. the other work - soffits, gutters, replacement of some rotting wood - really can and should be done soon, whether or not the house goes on the market within the next few months. Work on the present roof is necessary. Replacement is not. Even if the house ends up not having to be sold, a new roof is not necessary at this time. I can have repair work done now, and if I were to decide to lay out a few thousand dollars at a time to keep it caulked and painted every few years it would be good for a long time. It becomes an issue of either forking over more money now (or soon) for a new metal roof that will be virtually maintenance free, or spending the same or more money, but over a a much longer period of time to fix and then maintain the present roof. It is not about masking problems to sell the house.

I don't know when tin sheeting became commonly available, but tin roofs are very common in my little corner of the South of the USA, and especially in historic villages such as Hillsborough.

One good reason to not put on one of the new metal roofs, but to try to fix and then keep the roof repaired is the trees. There are three magnificent old trees, as old as the house or older, that overhang the house. They are not that close to the house. They are simply big and old enough that their canapies significantly overhang the roof. I could have some pruning done to remove branches laying on the roof, but to eliminate the overhanging entirely would require a butcher job on them, and I'm not willing to do that. If the next owner wants to do that, they can. I'm not gonna. so a new roof seems silly since I won't do what is needed to protect the investment and warranty.

Janie