Thinking of Buying a Leasehold Flat? Count the Full Cost First

You have found the flat. The light is right, the location works and the price is within reach. Then the estate agent mentions, almost in passing, that the property is leasehold, that there is a service charge and that a management company looks after the building. For many buyers, that is where the questions stop. It should be where they start. Leasehold is not a minority arrangement. The English…