£6k service charge on London flat?

[Hotes]

I’m considering making an offer on a flat but I’m somewhat hesitant about the service charge.

It’s £6k p.a. which includes water, heating and hot water. It’s in an immaculately kept 1970s block with two lifts and underground parking. Share of freehold so no ground rent. It’s in zone three but it’s a (relatively) expensive area.

Does the cost seem excessive? I’m concerned it would put buyers off if we came to sell in future.

Wimbledon Village might be Zone 3 but it is the poshest area in South London bar maybe Barnes and Richmond Village so am not surprised at the service charge and I wouldn't be worried about selling on as whoever buys it in future will be able to afford to live there! I'm in Putney.

No cladding with this one. I’ve gone back to the agent with a number of questions which posters here have helpfully suggested so I’ll wait to see what the response is, however they’re out of the office til next week so won’t hear back for a few days.

Cladding isn't the only issue with flats. Many also have issues with fire stopping and such like. All seems to linked to poor adherence Building Regs.

DH rented in central London in a well known Square with its own water supply and car park and porters.

Just a couple of observations:

The heating system must have been immense and central heating had to warm all floors. He/we were on the 8th floor (one flat above), and invariably had to open windows in winter. Washing dried quickly hanging up in the bathroom, which was internal with ventilation).

One of the sinks took an age to ever give us hot water (it must have been on a different circuit to the bathrooms).

It was great not to have to worry about plumbing. There was also extra cupboard space as there was no boiler or hot water tank.

The Porter was super-useful for taking parcels and looking at CCTV over bike stores etc. They also used to collect recycling and refuse several times a week.

We found it useful because we weren't there all the time and didn't want the hassle of sorting out workmen etc.

If I were a busy singleton, I would consider it ( but it would have to be in a lovely bit of London)!

Highly recommend getting service charge records for past 3-5 years and minutes of freeholders meetings. Also specifically ask if any Section 20 notices have been issued or are about to be plus a copy of the preventative maintenance plan as that is the sign of any major upcoming works already planned. (No PMP indicates a badly managed block in my experience). @RainingYetAgain is right - check about fire safety as we had to pay for a report and may have to replace some internal fire doors in future which won't be cheap.

Ours is £3,500p.a including heating. We have a lift, plus the usual cleaning and communal areas/grounds & garden maintenance and a large tarmac driveway (Zone 2, 26 flats in late 1960's block). Last year we all had to pay an extra £400 mainly due to higher than expected fuel charges for the heating and extra costs on the boiler upgrade. So the planned SC isn't always what actually happens.

Lift also cost a fortune in repairs a few years ago that we had to pay extra for and soon we have to replace the roof (which also won't all be covered by the reserve fund). But I work out that if I owned a separate property I'd still have much of these costs anyway. Also being share of freehold means you get some vote in the prioritisation of spending.

I was paying £4k per year for the shysters that are clarion housing to badly cut our communal lawn (think 4 men taking 6 hours to cut a patch 30m by 10m and trim 3 bushes) and not cut the massively overgrown trees.
This did not include any sink fund

£6k including water and heating sounds alright to me.

Ours is usually £2-3000 but that only includes main hall cleaning, management, issues with pipes etc and sinking fund.

Have you heard about Peabody ? The service charges has increased from £1000 to £2200 pounds in 3 years. The break down has repairs like lifts, access gates, private car par repairs like lights and building insurance that has increased. The property is in zone 5 Sidcup. It's well maintained. Is it reasonable service charge ?