Many times a Seller will do some preparatory work to spruce up the home and make it look better, tyring to get that all-important curb appeal that will command a higher price. Replacing the exterior roof covering rarely adds curb appeal. Of course, if the roof is leaking or otherwise past its useful life expectancy (see Figure 1), it might be a good idea to replace it.

  Figure 1. Dead roof.

One homeowner had replaced the roof, and when he got a copy of the home inspection report with a request to have the attic cleaned, he was quite furious, notwithstanding the evidence (see Figure 2). The roofing contractor had charged him $1,500 for "attic cleanup."

  Figure 2. "Cleaned" attic.

I would advise roofing contractors that if you are going to work under the "out of sight, out of mind, skip the work, charge the customer for it" protocol, make sure you ask the customer why he is replacing the roof. If his answer is "to sell the house," make sure you clean up the attic before I get there if you're going to charge for it. Otherwise, don't charge for something that you're not going to do.

Surely that's not so unreasonable, is it?