Roof replacement cost for block of flats if they blocking survey

F37A

Hi 

How does one get comfortable with risk of above if Managing agent is blocking survey or vendor solicitor not answering questions on allowing you to do survey. 

They are replacing the roof in the next couple years they have said. I don't really want to buy a flat if they arbitrarily charge 500,000 for example for roof replacement and get it from everyone via service charge. Also how does the situation for the buyer differ if its leasehold or if it share of freehold?

lincroft1710

Unless you know the cost of the roof replacement, the timescale and disruption of the normal peaceful enjoyment of your home, it is not something you can get "comfortable" with. The "next couple of years" could easily stretch to five years.

user1977

A survey isn't going to tell you whatever the cost of the works will be anyway.

MultiFuelBurner

I would move on to the next property

eddddy

You consider the risks - and decide how much you want to pay taking those risks into account, or whether you want to walk away.

In general, the bigger the risks, the less people are happy to pay. Not knowing the condition of the roof is one example of a risk.

F37A said:

 Also how does the situation for the buyer differ if its leasehold or if it share of freehold?

'Share of freehold' means all the leaseholders are also joint freeholders.

If it's not 'share of freehold', it's usually a 3rd party company or maybe an individual who is the freeholder.


Whether a bunch of "joint freeholders" is better or worse than a "3rd party freeholder" depends on the specific people involved. 

There can be some very nasty "3rd Party Freeholders", but there can also be some "joint freeholders" who are complete idiots, and impossible to deal with. Or not.

But most people seem to prefer the "share of freehold" approach.

F37A

MultiFuelBurner said:

I would move on to the next property

I am afraid that you are probably right. I am sick to death of this broken system how they can abuse people with lies and drag them through misery and then reveal details 7 months down the line.

NameUnavailable

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking but I read it as you're looking at a flat that has planned works in the next couple of years?

Regardless of whether it's a shared freehold or not, all leaseholders will have to pay towards the cost of the new roof.

Is there a sinking fund?

All properties will need things like new roofs at points in time, I guess the thing is to consider is can you save enough to cover the costs or do you look for a newer build or somewhere that has already had a new roof so that it's not something you need to worry about yet (although there may be other large costs such as internal hallway decoration, painting outside, repointing etc. etc.).

F37A

NameUnavailable said:

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking but I read it as you're looking at a flat that has planned works in the next couple of years?

Regardless of whether it's a shared freehold or not, all leaseholders will have to pay towards the cost of the new roof.

Is there a sinking fund?

All properties will need things like new roofs at points in time, I guess the thing is to consider is can you save enough to cover the costs or do you look for a newer build or somewhere that has already had a new roof so that it's not something you need to worry about yet (although there may be other large costs such as internal hallway decoration, painting outside, repointing etc. etc.).

yes. And not knowing how much it will cost and they saying a pathetic "don't know" makes me uneasy. If have no idea what the costs are difficult to make judgements. Its share of freehold x2 three storey blocks with 20 leaseholders in total. Also a flat roof

NameUnavailable

F37A said:

NameUnavailable said:

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking but I read it as you're looking at a flat that has planned works in the next couple of years?

Regardless of whether it's a shared freehold or not, all leaseholders will have to pay towards the cost of the new roof.

Is there a sinking fund?

All properties will need things like new roofs at points in time, I guess the thing is to consider is can you save enough to cover the costs or do you look for a newer build or somewhere that has already had a new roof so that it's not something you need to worry about yet (although there may be other large costs such as internal hallway decoration, painting outside, repointing etc. etc.).

yes. And not knowing how much it will cost and they saying a pathetic "don't know" makes me uneasy. If have no idea what the costs are difficult to make judgements. Its share of freehold x2 three storey blocks with 20 leaseholders in total. Also a flat roof

So you buy another flat with no mention of roof replacement and then 2 years later the roof leaks and they decide to replace it.

All properties need maintenance. You can only really avoid a roof replacement if you buy something that's relatively new or has had a new roof in recent years.

F37A

NameUnavailable said:

F37A said:

NameUnavailable said:

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking but I read it as you're looking at a flat that has planned works in the next couple of years?

Regardless of whether it's a shared freehold or not, all leaseholders will have to pay towards the cost of the new roof.

Is there a sinking fund?

All properties will need things like new roofs at points in time, I guess the thing is to consider is can you save enough to cover the costs or do you look for a newer build or somewhere that has already had a new roof so that it's not something you need to worry about yet (although there may be other large costs such as internal hallway decoration, painting outside, repointing etc. etc.).

yes. And not knowing how much it will cost and they saying a pathetic "don't know" makes me uneasy. If have no idea what the costs are difficult to make judgements. Its share of freehold x2 three storey blocks with 20 leaseholders in total. Also a flat roof

So you buy another flat with no mention of roof replacement and then 2 years later the roof leaks and they decide to replace it.

All properties need maintenance. You can only really avoid a roof replacement if you buy something that's relatively new or has had a new roof in recent years.

Why 2 years? life span of roofs can be 20 years. There's difference between replacement and repair, a big difference. 

user1977

F37A said:

NameUnavailable said:

F37A said:

NameUnavailable said:

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking but I read it as you're looking at a flat that has planned works in the next couple of years?

Regardless of whether it's a shared freehold or not, all leaseholders will have to pay towards the cost of the new roof.

Is there a sinking fund?

All properties will need things like new roofs at points in time, I guess the thing is to consider is can you save enough to cover the costs or do you look for a newer build or somewhere that has already had a new roof so that it's not something you need to worry about yet (although there may be other large costs such as internal hallway decoration, painting outside, repointing etc. etc.).

yes. And not knowing how much it will cost and they saying a pathetic "don't know" makes me uneasy. If have no idea what the costs are difficult to make judgements. Its share of freehold x2 three storey blocks with 20 leaseholders in total. Also a flat roof

So you buy another flat with no mention of roof replacement and then 2 years later the roof leaks and they decide to replace it.

All properties need maintenance. You can only really avoid a roof replacement if you buy something that's relatively new or has had a new roof in recent years.

Why 2 years? life span of roofs can be 20 years.

2 years after you buy it, not 2 years after it was last replaced.