No need to add anything on top of a corectley installed torch down modified roof with all needed flashing those things are a done deal for 20/30 years or so. We lay 2x acq stringers 16'' on center in the direction of the flow with a strip of modified under them,screw decking to the stringers,not past them into the roof. Dap out the rail posts 1 1/2 x however wide the rim joists is,bolt the posts to the rim joists.The Dap out lets the post sit on top of the decking. Its a good idea to figure out what kind of surface you want to walk on a little bit ahead of time, for sure dont plan on walking on the roof. Not really sure about the siding thing, flashing needs to be behind it and over the top of the roof or melted to the flashing by another strip of modified. J.

I'm confused. Your stair treads look to be natural oak - right? You aren't happy with the railing also being natural? This is a simple stairway and I don't think there's a thing wrong with it - the runner is nice the treads and risers are crisp - kind of a Swedish look. Where you might run into trouble is if you try and incorporate ideas from other more decorative staircases that you like and compromise the look of what you have. Can you explain what look your working towards?

I wanted to post some after photos and thank everyone who took the time to comment. It turns out that the wall was "indented" when we removed the chair rail so my DH has spent several weekends to build it back up with joint compound and texture it to blend in with the walls. It was a painfully tedious process (first trying to do it by hand, then with a sponge, then with spray-on compound that dribbled everywhere, and finally with a trowel lightly loading dabs of compound on). If you look closely you can still tell, but it's not as glaring as it was several iterations ago. Suffice to say, we are thrilled to be done with sanding, priming, texturing, and painting! Now, I need to figure out what wall decor to put up as the removal of the chair rail makes it a much easier space to deal with! Any and all advice would be appreciated. I was thinking of doing a photo gallery near the front entry, but that is a HUGE wall and I don't know that I can put photos high enough where you can still see them but not so low that the wall looks off-balance. Forgive the quality of the photos, taken without a flash on my iPhone.

I understand that OP needs it to be cheap until closing because this is a lender requirement (not unusual) and if it is fixed before closing, it becomes a fixture and stays with the property even if the buyer doesn't close. CONSIDER: A solution to this would be a rehab type loan rather than the typical purchase loan. Benefit to the buyer is they don't need to resort to expensive hard money type loan as mentioned up thread. Also it gives the buyer the TIME to figure out a permanent solution. The buyer can close right away on a rehab loan. The disadvantage to a rehab loan is that the interest rate is slightly higher than your typical purchase mortgage. Something to explore.