As 2004 drew to a close, many freeholders, managing agents and residents’ management companies were setting service charge budgets for the year ahead. Too often the figure for repairs is last year’s number plus a little extra, until a roof fails or a facade needs urgent work and leaseholders face a large, unexpected bill. A proper condition survey is the way to replace guesswork with a plan.
What the survey should cover
A condition survey of a block should look at every part of the building that the landlord is responsible for under the leases, typically:
- roofs, chimneys, parapets and rainwater goods;
- external walls, render, pointing, balconies and any decorative features;
- windows and external doors, where they form part of the structure or common parts;
- common parts, including entrances, stairs, corridors and lighting;
- shared services such as drainage, water supply, communal heating and lifts, with specialist input where needed;
- external areas, boundary walls, paths, car parks and bin stores.
What it should tell you
For each element, a useful report will say:
- What it is and how it is built.
- What condition it is in, with photographs.
- What needs doing, from routine maintenance to replacement.
- How urgent it is, using clear priorities.
- What it is likely to cost, at today’s prices.
- When it will be needed, so that costs can be spread over several years.
From survey to plan
The most valuable output is a planned maintenance programme, often over ten years, that groups work sensibly. Work that needs scaffolding, such as roof repairs, pointing and window decoration, can be done together to save cost. The programme can then inform service charge budgets and any reserve fund, so that money is collected steadily rather than demanded all at once.
Check the leases
Before relying on the survey, check what the leases say. They define who repairs what, what can be charged and whether a reserve fund is allowed. A survey that ignores the leases can lead to disputes.
Keep it current
A condition survey is a snapshot. Revisit it every few years, and after any major works, so that the plan stays realistic.
See our Building Surveys and Defect Diagnosis and Planned Preventative Maintenance services, and a later life cycle refurbishment of a 1912 block in a conservation area.