New homes and their service charges
Once you have made what is more than likely to be the ‘purchase of a lifetime' i.e. setting up home, that is by no means the end of the matter when it comes to keeping it in tip-top condition. Some home-owners and renters do the bare minimum and perform no preventative maintenance whatsoever. For example, a roof with slates that were blown out of place will only be investigated when an umbrella is needed inside in order to keep its occupants from getting wet! What would've turned out to be a small task, has now ballooned into a far greater one - possibly having to re-plaster and paint inside the dwelling.
For those among us who are intent on purchasing new homes in the form of flats, apartments and condominiums - these will almost certainly come with some level of yearly service charge to pay, basically because there are communal areas involved. There may well be stairways used by all the buildings occupants and as well as gardens to tend. If you have decided upon setting up home in a high-rise building, then there will certainly be a lift or two to service. These costs will need to be distributed evenly between the occupants; and when you buy the property (or rent it), these charges are laid out in your contract and may or may not be negotiable. There are companies that can help you reduce this financial burden by offering advice, albeit for a fee, which will certainly save you money in the long run.
