We’re Not Going to Live 50 More Years

I hear it at kitchen tables all over Mansfield, Ashland, Norwalk, and Mt. Vernon. A couple sits across from me, we’re looking at roofing options, and one of them — usually with a bit of a laugh — says, “Kevin, come on. We’re not going to live another 50 years. Why would we spring for a 50-year roof?”

It’s a fair question. And I always give the same honest answer.

Your roof isn’t just for you. It’s for whoever is still in the house after you’re gone.

That answer usually lands heavier than people expect — because it’s true.

About three out of four older Americans want to stay in their home as long as possible. That’s the dream: your kitchen, your neighbors, your memories, your independence. Nobody’s first choice is packing up at 78 and moving into assisted living.

But here’s what the research also tells us: couples rarely finish the race together. One spouse typically outlives the other by years — sometimes a decade or more. Statistically, it’s usually the wife. Which means the decisions you’re making today — about the roof, the siding, the bathroom, the windows — aren’t really decisions about the next 5 years. They’re decisions about what your spouse is going to be dealing with when she’s alone at 80, trying to keep the house running or trying to sell it.

A recent Boston College study found that homes sold by owners in their 80s sell for about 5% less than comparable homes sold by owners in their 40s and 50s. Why? Because deferred maintenance catches up. A leaky roof, a failing furnace, a siding issue — they all become leverage for a buyer at closing. On a $300,000 home, that’s $15,000 gone.

A 50-year roof isn’t a vanity purchase. It’s you making sure your spouse doesn’t have to deal with a roof problem in her 80s — whether she’s staying put or trying to sell.

Years ago, we put a roof on a home right here in Mansfield. The husband made the call. He had been diagnosed with cancer, and he was thinking ahead. He wanted the best warranty we offered. He wanted it done right. And he wanted his wife to never have to think about the roof again.

Sadly, he passed.

Time went on, and eventually his wife decided to sell the home. During the pre-closing inspection, something we installed wasn’t hooked up correctly — a vent that should have been tied in properly wasn’t. The inspection flagged it. The closing was about to fall apart.

She called us, understandably upset. Her husband was gone. She was trying to close on the house. And now this.

We were out there the same day. We fixed it. There was no charge — not a dime. The closing went through on schedule.

I think about that story every time someone tells me they don’t need a 50-year roof because they won’t live that long. Her husband picked the right roof from the right company, and years after he was gone, that decision still protected her. That’s what a real warranty is for. Not a piece of paper in a drawer. A company that answers the phone when your spouse calls a decade later — and shows up that same day.

If you’re in your 60s or 70s and thinking about a new roof — or siding, or a walk-in shower, or any major exterior work — here are the questions I’d want you to ask any contractor, us included:

1. Is the warranty transferable? If your spouse sells the home, does the warranty follow the home, or does it die with you?
2. How long has the company been around, and are they local? A 50-year warranty from a company that’s been in business for 5 years isn’t really a 50-year warranty.
3. Who picks up the phone in year 12? Will someone actually come out, or are you going to get a runaround?
4. Are callbacks free? If something isn’t right, do you pay — or do they fix it?

Those questions matter more than the price at the bottom of the proposal.

If you plan to age in place — or you want your spouse to have that option if she outlives you — the decisions you make on your home over the next few years are going to matter long after you’re done making them.

Bo Lacey Construction has been doing exterior remodeling in north central Ohio since 1984. We’ve walked this road with a lot of families. And we take that 50-year warranty seriously because we’ve seen, firsthand, exactly why it matters.

If you want to sit down at your kitchen table and talk through what aging in place really looks like from a home-maintenance standpoint, I’d be honored to have that conversation.