Owning your own home

Hmm, my experience of flats with concrete floors/walls is this is better (than, for example, our 1860s terrace, which is made of cheese). But I'm more concerned with neighbour noise so not quite the same thing. I suppose the design of individual places makes a big difference.

Could be tested by someone having a conversation with the estate agent and someone else moving to the other end of the house to see what they can hear.

The only advice I have to give is to work out what you want the place to be, then rip it apart and do everything before you move in (if you can afford it).

This is good advice but if you're thinking about making layout changes I'd recommend living in a place for a while first before making them because it helps you figure out what works and what doesn't. If it's 'just' a refurb and there are no structural/layout changes then definitely a good idea if you can afford to do it.

My blocks management company have demanded a pretty big sum to pay for internal renovations. I’ve offered to pay via monthly instalments to break down the sum but they have ignored my requests and threatening legal action demanding the full sum.

Where do I stand legally?

Where do I stand legally?

Well, presuming the work hasn't been challenged successfully and needs to be done, you will need to pay for it.

It helps if you share the structure of the management and composition of your block;

Is the flat ex-LA?
Who is the freeholder? Are they 'hostile'?
Do you have a share of freehold?
Do you have Right to Manage or similar?
Who is the management Co? How are they appointed?
Is there a sinking fund?

One way of raising the money quickly is to go to your mortgage lender.

Seems super petty. You can buy universal ones at Screwfix for £2...

I'd question the sanity of the buyer

It’s a private block. The management co are c**ts (but aren’t they all). The work is genuinely needed tbf but the money they want seems way too much to me.

I am happy to pay it but would prefer to pay it in instalments. I am wondering really if they have to accept that offer? If for example, they take me to court is the court going to say yeh that’s fair pay it in instalments then.

Thanks for the tip about my mortgage lender, didn’t think of that. Do you mean I can just add it to the mortgage?

Went to view this place back in Feb

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/property-history/54-belgrave-road/london/e11-3qw/52184043

Just done the usual Zoopla check and...

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/52968534?search_identifier=6fcdfdbf0cb6cf73f2b240f9047908e2

U mad bro?

Kitchen is better....

Nice garden.

Bloody chancers!

If you bought that place for £1m you’d still want to put in £50-100k to fix the extension out the back and sort out the dormers.

Cheap as chips refurb with a lick of Dulux ‘polished pebble’ is not going to add £150k of value in a falling market!

They did do the loft extension...

Wondered about the rear extension, but what's wrong with the dormers?

Surely it still would have cost a fair bit all in? Fees etc. Seems a bit toppy, but not insaine .

They added 2 bedrooms! How is that cheap as chips?

Also with the greatest of respect how can you tell if there is anything wrong with the dormers? In order for the house to be sold as 5 bedrooms the loft conversion would have had to be inspected and signed off by the DS. I've built about 20 loft conversions in my time so know a fair bit about the process and what is right/wrong. I wouldn't be able to spot anything wrong from one of those pictures.

Whoever did the work on that house has taken on a sizable risk, paid for the work to be done, while the work has been ongoing had to pay the mortgage, utilities, council tax etc. Its also worth noting that they'll have to continue paying this until the house is sold. And you want them to do this out of the goodness of their own hearts?

Golly

suits you, Sir

I think it would suit anyone who happened to be colourblind tbf.

You got me there

If I'm looking at that floorplan correctly, there is a shitter just up against the wall of the top bedroom.

Not walled in.

Just up against the wall.

Nice.

Ah ok missed that, apologies. Thought they had just painted it, changed carpets and slapped in a cheap kitchen.

I had assumed from my cursory look that the dormers were the same vintage and spec as the rather tired looking kitchen extension.

It’s certainly not attractive from the back but I understand the desire to max standing headroom floor area.

council tax

I agree with your sentiment, but just on the council tax, can't you contact the council and not pay if you haven't started living there?. I'm sure thats what my mate did while he waited to move into a new place that was having major works done.

Could be worse.

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It’s a private block. The management co are c**ts (but aren’t they all). The work is genuinely needed tbf but the money they want seems way too much to me.

Well, there are clueless cunts and there are overtly hostile freeholders as @BleakRefs will attest to. If you have a share of freehold you have a bit more power to scrutinise what is going on. For example, you could talk to residents on the board of directors. As a leaseholder you could pay attention to the S20 process, But it sounds like you either missed that or are resigned because...

...I am happy to pay it but would prefer to pay it in instalments. I am wondering really if they have to accept that offer?

I suspect no - they do not. For various reasons. For example, they might need all the money up front from all the leaseholders to even proceed with the works. You could try https://www.lease-advice.org for more bullet proof insight?

Thanks for the tip about my mortgage lender, didn’t think of that. Do you mean I can just add it to the mortgage?

Depends on your mortgage. If you've been over paying for example, you might be able to extract that money back. Or they might let you take a payment holiday. Or if your fixed term is coming to end you can re-mortgage and take the money out again. It depends.

Ultimately, if you are a leaseholder, and there is no sinking fund, you must have some way of quickly raising the money to pay for Major Works. A personal rainy day fund, flexible mortgage, bank loan etc.

The loft conversion alone would have been 40 grand give or take