How I ditched my managing agent … and saved money | Money | The Guardian

How I ditched my managing agent … and saved money | Money | The Guardian

Thousands of flat owners across Britain are handing over vast sums to managing agents to cover service and maintenance charges – but it doesn't have to be that way.
My story explains how it's both possible and practical to break away from these companies using a simple process which, in our case, cut the service charges by more than two-thirds. In the summer of 2009, as a single man in my mid-20s, I moved into my perfect home: a waterfront flat in Cardiff Bay on the top floor of a block of three flats.
The view from my balcony is spectacular in all directions, from the Cardiff skyline, to the Wales Millennium Centre, and, on a clear day, across the Severn estuary to the Mendip hills, as well as a stunning array of wildlife on the waterfront.