Service charges on new build house

Richard_Webster

OP's solicitor should have made it clear that such service charges were in no way fixed and could go up and down quite a lot based on the costs involved with whatever grass cutting etc was being paid for.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

The estimates are just that. Until the charges have been accrued and calculated the management company won't know how much the services actually cost.

Lord_Baltimore

There are service charges to be paid even if you are in a freehold property? I wouldn't have bought; what a ripoff.

davidmcn

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

There are service charges to be paid even if you are in a freehold property? I wouldn't have bought; what a ripoff.

It's nothing to do with freehold or leasehold - if there are communal areas somebody has to pay to maintain them.

chanz4

Easy get a majority of the other houses to vote and sack them maintenance company

harz99

chanz4 wrote: »

Easy get a majority of the other houses to vote and sack them maintenance company

Not practical until the whole development is finished, and from somebody who has tried to do just that certainly not easy!

The other residents are often not bothered, even if they do care, no one will then want to take on the job of organising maintenance and collecting the money to pay for future work.

mark5

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

There are service charges to be paid even if you are in a freehold property? I wouldn't have bought; what a ripoff.

It's becoming more common now, in the past the local council would adopt and maintain open spaces on new estates but rarely do anymore,the open areas still need maintaining though, hence the management charge.

glasgowdan

Few new estates get taken under the council's wing for grass cutting, litter, street sweeping etc, so residents have to pay the maintenance charges, freehold or not.

chanz4
Easy get a majority of the other houses to vote and sack them maintenance company

I've done this before, and even with only 11 residents, it's not easy

Haylescom

We purchased our new build a year ago. At the time we were given our service charge cost for the year and for the upcoming year (around £170). It told us the exact percentage and what that moneymoney was contributing towards (communal green space, upkeep of lighting, litter picking etc). We're currently in credit as the area only recently finished building and no maintenance was carried out during that time (might be worth checking on that too).

Mickygg

OP the management company is there to make money, and in my experience the costs are only ever going to increase.

I had a management company in my first property. I was there a year and received a letter saying the cost was doubling! I decided to sell up as I was worried when the fees next increased the house would be too hard to sell.

I heard several years down the line that the cost had not been increased again.