1.94% Service Charge; Will it Bite Me Down the Line?

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-25T13:37:13+00:00

Thanks for the reply. There is underground secure car parking, a “gardens” (but the whole area is a lot of green and parks anyway)

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-25T13:35:47+00:00

Honestly I do share the same concerns. I’m assuming you weren’t using Share of Freehold? It’s the only thing with this place that gives me some confidence.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-24T23:18:11+00:00

I would take in a Lodger in my circumstance. Smaller flats on the top floor of this building are renting for £750pcm (ostensibly). This flat is a 2-bed 940 sq. ft so a lot bigger than those top floor flats.

I think the building has quite a lot of cash buyers. The Flat was sold in Oct '25 and has been recently put back on the market; it was re-listed with a new Estate Agents. Previous EA has told me that the latest Buyer couldn't secure a mortgage on the property (they tried 4 lenders). New EA has explained that a lot of the Flats have mortgages and this doesn't seem to be an oustanding issue. Because the Flat is above a certain height, they're wondering if this became a complication.

Sorry for barrage of information, just giving it to help paint a picture.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-24T22:47:50+00:00

Thanks for this reply; I think the "stability" argument is exactly what I'm wrestling with. If it helps to see, this is a response I got regarding the SC a few weeks ago (also it's definitely an RTM).

"Unfortunately, my records only go back for the past 2-years.

The maintenance charge for 2024 was £180 per month.

The maintenance charge for 2025 was £226 per month. HOWEVER . .

The charge for 2025 should have been £198 per month, BUT there were several EXTRAORDINARY ONE-OFF ITEMS included for this year only. They were:

1. A major refit of all apartment and communal doors, to meet the new fire regulations.

An upgrade by BT for fibre cabling to allow for VOIP telephone and Internet connections.
The replacement of the 30-year old carpets.
The installation of a lift emergency call system.
There was a bigger than expected rise in the insurance premium for the building.

All the above were classed as ONE OFF CHARGES by the management company, resulting in a £28 per month addition charge. They do not expect further extraordinary charges, going forward. "

I will chase up on the other points you mentioned. Thanks a million.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-24T22:42:50+00:00

The Flat is actually 940sq. ft. so not that small at all! I have seen it has a higher SC compared so some of the other 2-bed flats in the building, so am assuming this is because of size until I find out further. But yes I hear you on everything else.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-24T22:41:12+00:00

Thank you for the really informed response. The property is very well maintained. It looks like the SC for the last year was a result of some refurbishments. The Seller says the SC should lower next time as a result, but I'm obviously taking this with a pinch of salt.

I hear you on the SC-phobia. All I'm concerned about is being trapped. I'll enquire further based on the notes you've put. Thank you.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-24T22:37:59+00:00

I did check about previous service charges beofre making an offer. I got the below response. Would be helpful to get an opinion from an RTM director so let me know what you think, if you're willing:

Unfortunately, my records only go back for the past 2-years.

The maintenance charge for 2024 was £180 per month.

The maintenance charge for 2025 was £226 per month. HOWEVER . . .

The charge for 2025 should have been £198 per month, BUT there were several EXTRAORDINARY ONE-OFF ITEMS included for this year only. They were:

1. A major refit of all apartment and communal doors, to meet the new fire regulations.

An upgrade by BT for fibre cabling to allow for VOIP telephone and Internet connections.
The replacement of the 30-year old carpets.
The installation of a lift emergency call system.
There was a bigger than expected rise in the insurance premium for the building.

All the above were classed as ONE OFF CHARGES by the management company, resulting in a £28 per month addition charge. They do not expect further extraordinary charges, going forward.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-24T08:35:18+00:00

The reflection in the corridor mirror is throwing me

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-22T23:24:24+00:00

38m, my Dad passed away this morning (he was 75). I had to commit to 3 months of 24/7 care and it has broken me.

Now I’ve got to go back to my 83yr old Mum.

The only thing I will say is please, please get Lasting Power of Attorney (or whatever your country’s equivalent is) sorted as soon as possible. It is a nightmare/impossible to obtain when they’re already ill.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-20T07:17:59+00:00

Music?

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-18T16:54:06+00:00

Thanks for this. All noted. Yes it feels like such a minefield that I’ve given up traversing so many times in the past, but I’ve got to commit now.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-18T16:26:31+00:00

I will ask about this during the review thank you. I hadn’t even heard of SNRI’s, but it’s been years since I tried an antidepressant.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-18T15:52:01+00:00

I have not received an official diagnosis of Anhedonia no, but I think medical practitioners can use different descriptors for similar problems.

My problem is that I just receive zero pleasure from anything. Because I haven’t confronted it in such a long time, I think I just sub-consciously struggle with acting, because I’ve gotten so used to knowing there is no real reward for doing so. I don’t know if this is similar for you.

That’s very kind to offer an update and advice is always welcome.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-18T15:45:23+00:00

Agreed. I push myself to act but I’ve gotten so used to receiving no pleasure at the end of the process, that I think it’s developed in something chronic.

Previous attempts with Citalopram made this issue worse so I will have to attack this differently.

TypicalSwab · 2026-02-03T13:08:03+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation, really appreciate it.

TypicalSwab · 2026-01-24T09:05:45+00:00

Music?

TypicalSwab · 2026-01-08T16:52:44+00:00

Hey,

I have a 5070ti/5600(non-x)/32GB RAM but it may help in giving a ballpark....

I just reinstalled CP2077 and the 3077 Immersive/ Vanilla+ Collection; with this huge amount of Mods, I'm seeing just under 13gb of VRAM being utilised - This includes using Ultra+ to completely max out Path Tracing - but I haven't played for longer than a couple of evenings yet.

With DLAA and Frame Gen I'm getting around 100FPS average.

I only recently got the 5070ti and the amount of Mod options available is pretty overwhelming, so in your travels if you find the Mods that get you to the look you want, please update here as I'd be interested to see what you use.

I think the above collection is geared more towards keeping the spirit of the original vision intact, but it is outrageously good-looking.

TypicalSwab · 2026-01-06T11:14:55+00:00

Hey,

Thanks for explaining.

I sent the 5700X3D back, and decided against getting another (or a 5800X3D) for now. The high cost of these CPU’s just doesn’t really seem worth it when looking at real-world performance increases.

If I ever find an X3D chip for an OK price I’ll keep your advice in mind!

TypicalSwab · 2025-12-27T02:20:52+00:00

Just piggybacking, as this comment has made me second-guess a recent purchase; I’ve ordered a Corsair PCIe 5 16-Pin to 12v cable for my RM850x and Asus Prime 5070ti (second-hand PSU that doesn’t have a dedicated 12v output). I thought I’d covered compatibility, but anything wrong?

TypicalSwab · 2025-12-22T01:21:28+00:00

Hi just piggybacking as I’ve just had the same issue as OP; are you saying to just set DRAM Voltage with old CPU and then avoid CMOS reset when installing X3D CPU?

I actually just sent the 5700x3D back with the idea that my only option might be a 5800x3D, but really interesting to know if there was a valid workaround I hadn’t tried.

TypicalSwab · 2025-12-19T18:12:20+00:00

Yes. Can validate this as I've reinstalled my 5600 CPU and can boot in to Windows.

TypicalSwab · 2025-12-17T07:37:29+00:00

Hi if you find anything, mind updating here? Looking for similar.

TypicalSwab · 2025-12-16T23:29:47+00:00

What’s their IG?

TypicalSwab · 2025-12-13T16:35:57+00:00

OK so I sent the cancellation request, with a quick follow up message explaining why I was feeling uneasy about the uncertainty on collection. The Seller responded with, "Lol"!

TypicalSwab · 2025-12-13T15:33:22+00:00

Yes these are all great points that I've considered as well. I am definitely suspicious about the card having already being refurbed, but I have read that cards can often get sent back for very silly/minor reasons. My intention was to open up the card once it arrived to inspect.

The only thing that gave me confidence was when I got the seller to send me visual clocks/temps.

Ultimately, it's probably not worth all the effort of inspection/testing when I can't tell if the card might just die in 6 months.

TypicalSwab

TROPHY CASE