Lana305

Hi All, We are considering buying an ex-council flat at Champion Hill, where the leaseholder is Southwark Council. It’s a 3-bedroom property. I’m wondering what the typical service charges are in the area and how much the council has increased these costs in recent years. Many thanks in advance for the comments.

Yes, that's the one: Cleve Hall Estate. Thank you so much, it's so good to hear a local's opinion. It does seem like a really nice place to me too.

East Dulwich and Haywards Heath are quite different vibes 😅 and long and pricey commutes which I'd like to avoid. In my industry everyone is back to the office.

Oh yes, Dawson Heights is such a cool building! The location isn't right for us, but those flats are lovely. I'm determined to make it to The Modern House with our future not-yet-fashionable ex-LA flat, like some of the Dawson Heights residents did 🙂

I know, for this reason we entirely excluded new builds from our search... private management companies seem to be a huge scam. I just meant £2.6 k pa service charge for a small 12-14 flat council block without a lift or a garden seemed a bit much at first glance. But it's all right as long as there aren't additional large some refurbishment bills.

Wasn't this by any chance the Cleve Hall Estate?

I am already prepared for some annoyance, a bit of stress and a slight rip-off from the council, I did my homework 🙂 But do you think I would be worse off than renting?

Oh of course I see your point but what’s the alternative in London when your budget is under £450-£500? I figured it's either to move way out of town and spend £4-5k a year on train tickets, or keep renting—which, given the landlord sell-offs, spiraling rent costs, and bad agencies, doesn’t appeal to us anymore. We’ve also looked at newer developments, but they come with their own service charge scams and cladding problems. Every now and then, I wouldn’t mind paying a bit more for the upkeep of the building (as I would with a freehold house), but I wonder just how frequent and extortionate these bills really are. I’ve read all the horror stories about leasehold drama—whether with private management companies or council-owned freeholds—but surely these are the minority? Otherwise, no one would ever buy a home in London again, right? Maybe it’s just my naive first-time buyer optimism, hoping there’s something better out there than renting forever 😂 I’m already prepared for some annoyance, a bit of stress, and a slight rip-off from the council—I’ve done my homework 🙂 But do you think I’d be worse off than renting? God, that sounds like an ordeal 🙄. Will the leasehold reform ever happen in this country?! Also please see my message below...

Hello there, We are new to Camberwell/East Dulwich, having never lived here before, but we are looking to buy a lovely and spacious flat in one of the Southwark Council-owned blocks around Monclar Road, Arnold Avenue, Wanley Road, or Dowson Close. We’ve visited the neighborhood several times during both the day and nighttime, and I really like how quiet and leafy it is, as well as how much space there is between the blocks. I’ve noticed it’s a mix of council and privately-owned flats, and it seems to be a nice blend of people. My first question is about the residents: am I right in thinking this is a nice neighborhood? I would be grateful to hear about any experiences or observations. My second question relates to service charges. In the block we are considering, the service charge is quite high in my opinion (£2,600 per year), though I understand this isn’t unheard of in London. However, I’ve noticed that some neighboring, similar blocks have much lower rates (£1,300 per year). Could this be due to recent costly work, or is it to subsidize the council-owned flats in the block? Any opinions or experiences regarding service charges would also be very welcome. Many thanks!