Hi everyone. I need some advice. I have just purchased a property in Algorfa. An apartment with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a small communal pool with a parking space and a small underground storage area. My communal fees are 800 euros a year. Could someone advise if they believe this is about right or too expensive. Appreciate any feedback. Many thanks.
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 8:48am
Very helpful member
Sounds expensive to me but depends on many things. How many apartments are there, are there gardens to maintain etc
We have a 2 bed house in a small urbanisation of 64 houses with a pool and pay €350 a year.
I assume you knew the cost before you bought?
There are wide variations however comparable or not they are what they are and there is little or nothing you can do to change them.
Were you not made aware of the fees prior to purchasing?
Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:40am
Legendary helpful member
Community fees vary so much it’s impossible to say. Could be any from 50 -3000€ per annum.
Pool fees number of times it cleaned per week. if it’s heated there’s the charges for that.
Pool area /communal areas maintenance, how often gardeners come in. A pretty pool surrounded by by greenery needs weekly maintenance, whereas if your pool area is tiled the gardeners/ handyman only needs to check for weeds a couple of times a year. How often your communal areas are checked for infestation etc.
Electricity charges, community pay for lighting of common areas, so not just the pool lights, private road lighting, underground garages etc.
If in an apartment block, you could also be paying for lift maintenance or electronic security maintenance.
If you have a high number of unpaid fees, there will also be legal fees incurred by the community. There are also the costs payable to the admin company.
Your community accounts will detail how the money is spent and you can always ask for a copy of last year’s accounts.
Fees are decided by the community at the yearly (in normal non covid times) AGM
Number of factors to consider, but basically the more facilities you have the bigger the fee. Although the number of properties sharing the facilities is also a fact in the equation.
You should have been made aware of the amount payable per annum for the community charge and the IBI when you purchased the property.
Lynn
GrahamLynn wrote on Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:40am:
Community fees vary so much it’s impossible to say. Could be any from 50 -3000€ per annum.
Pool fees number of times it cleaned per week. if it’s heated there’s the charges for that.
Read more...
Pool area /communal areas maintenance, how often gardeners come in. A pretty pool surrounded by by greenery needs weekly maintenance, whereas if your pool area is tiled the gardeners/ handyman only needs to check for weeds a couple of times a year. How often your communal areas are checked for infestation etc.
Electricity charges, community pay for lighting of common areas, so not just the pool lights, private road lighting, underground garages etc.
If in an apartment block, you could also be paying for lift maintenance or electronic security maintenance.
If you have a high number of unpaid fees, there will also be legal fees incurred by the community. There are also the costs payable to the admin company.
Your community accounts will detail how the money is spent and you can always ask for a copy of last year’s accounts.
Fees are decided by the community at the yearly (in normal non covid times) AGM
Number of factors to consider, but basically the more facilities you have the bigger the fee. Although the number of properties sharing the facilities is also a fact in the equation.
You should have been made aware of the amount payable per annum for the community charge and the IBI when you purchased the property.
Lynn
Hi Lynn. I have just received the cost rundown of the fees for this year and everything is correct. Thanks for your reply. There are a few things that need to be improved in the building, hence the higher than usual expense.Thank you everyone for your advice. 👍
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