Look after the hat and a house will look after itself

Without discussing every detail, first of all the postponement and now the cancellation of the roof repair and replacement is perhaps a blessing in disguise!  It should have been the first project when I bought this house but it was delayed. Apart from everything else that happened when I bought my house, the research to have it repaired is not as easy as it seems.
But then, I seem to not have a simple life. It often becomes complicated!!!!!!!
Now, I am thrown back into the cauldron of research and having to decide what to do about my roof!   It needs repair and the valley between the two roofs is urgently requiring attention!
It's a mansard roof but only half of one with no flat roof.  Common in this area. Evidently, the pitch is insufficient for terracotta flat tiles which currently exist.  But I was going to ignore this fact and replace the flat tiles. I think too many of them are broken and / or fragile and more replacements than at first thought will be required.   So that in itself may cause the price to rise! Technical information indicates that the pitch of the roof and the direction of the wind are important when choosing the roof material. I don't wish to have the rear wall built up higher.  It seems to me that most roofs of this shape are slated but sometimes they have the top part (terrasson) in one material and the brisis in another. I'm almost sure I do not wish to have two types of tiling on the roof.
I think slate will look pretty providing it is high or medium quality slate and is nailed!
The timbers of the current roof frame are bent; cracked under the weight of wet tiles. Rafters are a mixture of pine and poplar indicating patched repair in previous years.
Then there is the matter of the guttering position on the façade which at the moment is incorrect and plastic pipes must be replaced by zinc guttering.
So, back to the planning stage, studying estimates, researching and learning,  plus having to reapply to the Architect de Batiments de France with whom on Thursday I had an hour long conversation about the perceived visual and heritage issues, although I do have official permission to repair!!!!!!!  Residents must have an opportunity to say nay or yay to ardoise tiles if that is what I have changed the plans to!   It seems it will not be done this side of winter!! Aaaarrgh!
I ask too many questions and some artisans do not like this!!!!!! They are of course the experts and I am, by and large totally ignorant, and would not be in the building game for all the tea in China, but I know what I like, though the wallet is almost empty! 

It is my nature to find out as much as I can in order to make an informed choice. I think every client should be able to discuss the detail of a job, until they feel comfortable with their employment of the artisan.

I look roofwards wherever I go in France... to see if I can find a roof edging like mine...... not even the Architect was familiar with this method of finishing the eaves.

 

Evidently it should be more like this: 

This next roof is set back further along the street.

I think it is quite pretty with the same shaped roof structure.

So maybe that is my answer.