Freeholder wants to redecorate common parts - advice pls

Freeholder wants to redecorate common parts - advice pls

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Blue Oval84

Original Poster:

5,276 posts

160 months

Tuesday 12th September 2017
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Long story shortish. I'm a leaseholder in a purpose built block of flats. The block was completely stripped and refurbished in 2002, with all the flats being sold as new builds. It is currently in a modern(ish) for the time colour scheme, white, off-white, grey, black etc with teal doors. It's looking very tired (as the freeholder has not upheld their part of the lease to keep it in good order) but the colour scheme itself works well enough.

The managing agents are now arranging for a full internal redecoration but claim that the leaseholder has instructed them to paint all the internal walls beige (they call it Gardenia). This is quite frankly going to look gash when compared to the current colour schemes, and as there's no plan to change things like the floor (grey and black) it just won't look the way the block was intended. Especially jarring as the outside is still going to be white and grey.

Lease states simply that the freeholder is obliged to decorate the block in "appropriate" colours.

I and other residents have pointed out that plain white emulsion would be more in keeping with the original colour scheme. We bought into a reasonably modern looking block (with a few scuffs) and now rather than just paint it as is, the freeholder wants to make it look like we got a job lot on paintwork from an old folks home.

We're approaching them with our objections, but if it goes nowhere, is a tribunal likely to have any legs?

TLDR- Freeholder wants to paint the inside of our block a gash, boring, colour. Can we stop them?

matjk

1,101 posts

139 months

Tuesday 12th September 2017
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Probably not, and wait till they bill you for it , which they no doubt will

Blue Oval84

Original Poster:

5,276 posts

160 months

Tuesday 12th September 2017
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Under £200 thankfully as we have a chunk in reserve now. It's only fair as it has to be paid for somehow.

I'd actually pay the difference to have them paint my stairwell in white, I don't care what they do with the parts that future buyers of my flat won't visit!

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
quotequote all
Blue Oval84 said:
Long story shortish. I'm a leaseholder in a purpose built block of flats. The block was completely stripped and refurbished in 2002, with all the flats being sold as new builds. It is currently in a modern(ish) for the time colour scheme, white, off-white, grey, black etc with teal doors. It's looking very tired (as the freeholder has not upheld their part of the lease to keep it in good order) but the colour scheme itself works well enough.

The managing agents are now arranging for a full internal redecoration but claim that the leasefreeholder has instructed them to paint all the internal walls beige (they call it Gardenia). This is quite frankly going to look gash when compared to the current colour schemes, and as there's no plan to change things like the floor (grey and black) it just won't look the way the block was intended. Especially jarring as the outside is still going to be white and grey.

Lease states simply that the freeholder is obliged to decorate the block in "appropriate" colours.

I and other residents have pointed out that plain white emulsion would be more in keeping with the original colour scheme. We bought into a reasonably modern looking block (with a few scuffs) and now rather than just paint it as is, the freeholder wants to make it look like we got a job lot on paintwork from an old folks home.

We're approaching them with our objections, but if it goes nowhere, is a tribunal likely to have any legs?

TLDR- Freeholder wants to paint the inside of our block a gash, boring, colour. Can we stop them?
ITYM

TLDR - Freeholder hasn't repainted the inside in a decade and a half, so it looks scruffy, but we don't want them to repaint it now - because we don't like the colour.

The lease says "appropriate" colour. The freeholder decides what's appropriate.

SystemParanoia

14,343 posts

197 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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you could buy the freehold, then you're the one in control smile

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

169 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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Blue Oval84 said:
.... I don't care what they do with the parts that future buyers of my flat won't visit!
Ah, so it's all about what you want and fk everyone else.

psi310398

9,036 posts

202 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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FWIW, I'm a freeholder (more by accident than design as I own one of the two flats in the building as well).

I had the common parts painted in white emulsion by agreement with the other leaseholder and it looks awful just a year later. Daily traffic (especially if small children are around) degrades emulsion fast. I know it's naff but I'd suggest that you ask the freeholder to get a wipeable finish, whatever shade you end up with.

Peter

InitialDave

11,854 posts

118 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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I have to say, if I were them, and a load of people came to me and said they wanted a particular colour, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest to do that instead. It's going to cost the same, so may as well keep people happy.

Unless of course they really did get a cheap job lot of paint from an old folks home...

SantaBarbara

3,244 posts

107 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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Gardenia sounds absolutely lovely

mgv8

1,631 posts

270 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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Do the leaseholder have meetings together? If not then a good time to start one.
You then need to ask the simple question as to why the change in color. Also as a group getting legal advice start to be a lot cheeper.

Blue Oval84

Original Poster:

5,276 posts

160 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
quotequote all
Alucidnation said:
Ah, so it's all about what you want and fk everyone else.
Top selective quoting there wink

Blue Oval84

Original Poster:

5,276 posts

160 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
quotequote all
psi310398 said:
FWIW, I'm a freeholder (more by accident than design as I own one of the two flats in the building as well).

I had the common parts painted in white emulsion by agreement with the other leaseholder and it looks awful just a year later. Daily traffic (especially if small children are around) degrades emulsion fast. I know it's naff but I'd suggest that you ask the freeholder to get a wipeable finish, whatever shade you end up with.

Peter
Yeah, that is a concern, and the current white walls don't look great, but they are almost 15 years old. The woodwork is currently painted black in line with the black/grey/white/teal design (which they want to change to white) so will actually be harder to look after than it is now.

SystemParanoia said:
you could buy the freehold, then you're the one in control smile
I've thought about it, but with 50 other leaseholders to round up (many of whom are BTL) and extract cash from, never going to happen!

mgv8 said:
Do the leaseholder have meetings together? If not then a good time to start one.
You then need to ask the simple question as to why the change in color. Also as a group getting legal advice start to be a lot cheeper.
Yeah there's about 6 or 7 of us meet every six months, unfortunately the block has quite a few BTL landlords now.

TooMany2cvs said:
ITYM

TLDR - Freeholder hasn't repainted the inside in a decade and a half, so it looks scruffy, but we don't want them to repaint it now - because we don't like the colour.

The lease says "appropriate" colour. The freeholder decides what's appropriate.
We do want it painting, we just want it doing to the same standard that it was originally done. Would you honestly be happy if you bought in a modern development and then it was turned into an old fashioned beige development without any input from you? It's not like the freeholder has to bloody pay for it, we're paying it all ourselves. Their decision impairs the look of the place we live and provides absolutely no cost benefit to them, whatsoever.

johnao

667 posts

242 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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SantaBarbara said:
Gardenia sounds absolutely lovely
It is.

I've painted the outside of my house in Gardenia. It's a much warmer colour than the white of the house opposite.

Edited to add: Gardenia is not beige. Its colour is more of a cream or magnolia than the brown of a beige.

Edited by johnao on Wednesday 13th September 11:15


Edited by johnao on Wednesday 13th September 11:15

Blue Oval84

Original Poster:

5,276 posts

160 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
quotequote all
johnao said:
It is.

I've painted the outside of my house in Gardenia. It's a much warmer colour than the white of the house opposite.

Edited to add: Gardenia is not beige. Its colour is more of a cream or magnolia than the brown of a beige.

Edited by johnao on Wednesday 13th September 11:15


Edited by johnao on Wednesday 13th September 11:15
Fair dos, I'm sure on the right house it can look lovely, but I'm not convinced it's going to go with the rest of our block which is otherwise all grey/white/black and brushed steel.

Mandat

3,879 posts

237 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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10B15 - that brings back memories from many years ago, when I started out in my first job as a gradute surveyor.

10B15 is the RAL number for Gardenia, and it was the default choice in nearly all specifications that I saw and and was involved with on many commercial decoration projects, including local authority common parts in blocks.

It was said that the cream hue to the colour was softer and more aesthetic that pure white emulsion, particulary in areas with flourescent / harsh lighting, such as common parts areas.



Edited by Mandat on Wednesday 13th September 13:48

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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InitialDave said:
I have to say, if I were them, and a load of people came to me and said they wanted a particular colour, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest to do that instead. It's going to cost the same, so may as well keep people happy.
I find myself wondering what proportion of leaseholders we're talking about.

Blue Oval84

Original Poster:

5,276 posts

160 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
I find myself wondering what proportion of leaseholders we're talking about.
Well since last night I've only managed to speak to three others but we're all in agreement.

InitialDave

11,854 posts

118 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
I find myself wondering what proportion of leaseholders we're talking about.
Well, I assume the ones who aren't choosing to express an opinion can't be that bothered either way, especially when the request appears to be "can we keep the same colour scheme we have now".

SantaBarbara

3,244 posts

107 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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SystemParanoia said:
you could buy the freehold, then you're the one in control smile
You do not understand how it works

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
quotequote all
Blue Oval84 said:
TooMany2cvs said:
I find myself wondering what proportion of leaseholders we're talking about.
Well since last night I've only managed to speak to three others but we're all in agreement.
Of how many?