If you own or are thinking of buying an older property the roof is possibly the most important part of the house to keep in good repair. If the roof is left to deteriorate the resulting repairs can be extremely costly. The things to look out for are broken tiles on the roof or on the ground around the property, damaged or missing flashing from under the tiles and from the inside damp and mould on surfaces or even seeing daylight through parts of the roof.
Many older houses do not have felt under the roof tiles so any broken tiles will allow rainwater to enter the loft space. A good tip is to use a pair of binoculars to examine the roof from the ground. It may be necessary to ask a neighbour whether you could view the roof from their garden so that you can get a clear view. Ridge and hip tiles are very often damaged during high winds as the cement that held them in place deteriorates. It is usually obvious if these tiles are missing.
The underside of the roof can be seen from the loft however if loft insulation is in place this may have to be pulled back to get a better view. Beams and rafters should be inspected to check that there is no evidence of rot and woodworm an unfortunately common issue in older properties so that remedial work can be carried out.