Help with problems after purchasing a home

Questioner

Hello, I have a question about the purchase of a house where a defect has come to light, but I don't know if I can recover this from the previous owner and how I should proceed. Can you help me? 2 weeks ago the keys were handed over for the house with the defect. The defect is a sagging roof of the extension which, according to a contractor who came to install a new frame, could cause problems in the future. The roof covering was replaced 2 years ago and wood rot was also found then and this was replaced, but the sagging of the roof was not. Furthermore, asbestos was found in the fascia of that roof (30 x 100 cm) which can be seen when the roof is opened from the inside. This asbestos has been broken off, but this could have been done by the resident for the seller. We currently have no leaks, but the roof is sagging about 10cm over a width of 5 metres, causing water to remain on the extension. A building inspection was carried out before the purchase and the roof covering was declared good as well as the slope of the roof surface, but nothing was said about the sagging. Can you perhaps help me on my way to tackling this problem? Can I start the repair myself or do I have to wait for some things to happen first? What is the correct order of action to possibly recover it from the seller and solve the sagging? Many thanks in advance for your time and effort

Lawyer

You have had a building inspection carried out, in which nothing was determined about the sagging of the roof. The question here is whether the seller knew about this and concealed it, as a result of which he did not comply with his duty to report. The sagging of the roof can also constitute a serious defect, in which case it does not matter whether the seller knew about it. Since the roof regularly sinks, it does not possess the property that may be expected for normal use of the home. I advise you to first give the seller written notice of default to remedy the problem. If you would like help with this, you can contact me directly free of charge.