Buying a retirement flat in a block with leaking roof.

Alter_ego

The manager was kind enough to warn you!!

Buy somewhere else!!

user1977

Have you already considered all the other costs involved with a retirement flat? Service charges tend to be pretty high, even before you start worrying about the usual things like fixing roofs.

Bemahan

@Norman_Castle - It's only repairs to the roof (it's a flat roof) I'm thinking more of what happens if something else gives out in the next couple of years, like other parts of the roof or drains, guttering etc.
@Alter_ego - I did get the feeling she was labouring the point for a reason....

Bemahan

user1977 said:

Have you already considered all the other costs involved with a retirement flat? Service charges tend to be pretty high, even before you start worrying about the usual things like fixing roofs.

Thank you, yes - we were viewing a few flats so I did a lovely spreadsheet with them on so I could compare costs like stamp duty (or in this case Welsh Land Tax), ground rent, service charges, floor m², estimated utilities and insurance, council tax, lease length, parking etc etc

Bemahan

Just popping back to say that we did complete on the flat in early Jan.
Work on the roof was completed before our purchase completed and we also reduced our offer
We are absolutely delighted with it.
£18 monthly DD for electricity and under £70 for a year's insurance and we are doing the bare minimum to it to keep costs (new flooring throughout but happy to live with the existing 1980s bathroom and kitchen!). So trying to keep the variable costs down to counteract service charge and council tax.
Life in our 'real world' is very stressful for a no. of reasons and it is bliss to get away to our little slice of heaven. 
Thank you to everyone for their advice and suggestions.
It all took a very long time (5 mths) mainly, I think, because although the solicitors knew both parties were very keen to complete (it should have been a very straightforward process), they were also aware that neither side was going to be homeless or terribly out of pocket if it didn't go through, so we kept getting shunted down their "to do" list.