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Leasehold flat, cost of replacement communal door seems excessive
I’d love to get some opinions.
I’m in Kent, south east England, I know everything is expensive here. I own a 2 bed flat, ex council now owned by housing authority who have a habit of putting rather unsavoury characters in our building, and therefore, our front and back security doors get damaged frequently.
I’ve received a notice of intent, to replace front and rear communal doors and entry system with side panels and steel portcullis, replacing the existing entry system including main access panel, door entry handsets and issue of new access fobs.
£25,790 plus a 10% risk allowance (to cover any unforeseen works or repairs not originally identified) 20% VAT. TOTAL £34,043.86. This is to be shared between the 8 flats, which only 2 are owned (so the other 6 won’t have to contribute) with £2,053 coming from the sinking fun, leaves me £2,556 to pay.
Now, the total of £2,556 doesn’t seem excessive for 2 new security doors.. but, the £34,043 really does seem very high. This is the only quote we’ve been provided with.
Options please ? Thank you.
Comments
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Not fully following what's happening with the entry system? What capabilities does the current one have? What capabilities will the new one have?
Have they given you any breakdown in cost?
The owners of the other 6 flats will be contributing, the tenants won't but thats the norm in properties where it isnt owner occupied.
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the owner of the other 6 is the housing association.
It doesn’t found like the entry system is changing much, they currently have a number pad, you press the number you want and it buzzes, the tenant picks up a handset by their individual front door and clicks to buzz them in. The access fobs is new. I’m assuming that’s to replace a key.
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It sounds like a reinforced door is being fitted, which probably costs more than a standard one.
No doubt there will be laboutr charges involved and disposal costs for the old fittings.
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Have they given an itemised breakdown of all the costs?
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00 at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
Balance as at 31/08/26 = £ 84,500.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
Unless you are accusing them of fraud they will be picking up the other 75% of the bill
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well, I assume they’re paying the other 75%, but, since the cost is double what another firm quoted, I can’t help but wonder why they’d pay so much.
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£34000 - for a door?
You can get a teleporter for that...
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My guess here is whoever is "Managing" the block has gone to their "trusted" (probably associated business / mutual director / someone they owe a favour to) and gave them the job to replace the door. I live in a leasehold and I get the same thing here in Portsmouth. FirstPort manage my block and they somehow get ripped off on every job.
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To be fair, the work described here is considerably more than replacing "a door".
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