repointing and redecorating exteriors, leases and managing agents

Hello,

I've got a couple of queries I'm really stuck on and wondered if any of you lovely people had any ideas.

I own a flat in one of the Garden streets, in a house that's been converted into three flats.  The lease for all three flats is owned by the same person, and they've appointed an agents called Ferrier Tomlin to manage the property.  Ferrier Tomlin are typical agents and charge us through the nose for any bit of work that they do (£50 for sending out a letter, £100 to renew our insurance every year, that kind of thing). All legal, all above board, all annoying.

Every year they come up with a large bit of maintainence work that 'needs' doing.  They go through all the correct legal stuff of informing us, allowing us to suggest contracters, and letting us see the quotes etc. but it is still annoying because they identify the work and set the timetable, and we don't have a say in it.  Two of the three flats have been sold in the last couple of years and surveys have been carried out, so we know that nothing major NEEDS doing, the works they identify are largely cosmetic, and are not in any way vital.  The sort of stuff that left to your own devices you'd do if you'd got a bit of spare cash, but postpone if times were lean.

I've just had a letter from them saying that this year they want to:

• repair and redecorate the rear windows and door
• .      repair and redecorate gutters, downpipes and wastepipes
• .     Minor repairs and repointing to the rear brickwork

They have got an intital quote for this and apparently it will cost us £6000 and involve builders accessing the back of the property through my flat for 4 weeks. I am understandably not thrilled by this.

My first question is - has anyone had similar work done recently?  Does that sound like a reasonable cost and timeframe?  It seems massive to me (particularly since we had the front done for 2k two years ago and that took two days) but I'm not a builder and maybe I'm just being naive about the level of work involved.

Second question - can anyone reccomend someone who's done similar work who I can get my own quote from.  I'd just like someone trustworthy to talk through the work they've suggested and what it involves.  If there really is that much stuff that needs doing, and it really will take that long, fair enough, but I'm currently a bit dubious about it. We are legally allowed to suggest our own contractor. So its not just advice, it is possible that they'd get the work if they quoted.

Third (and most complex) has anyone ever tried to challenge works suggested by a leaseholder and what happened? I've been reading up on it and it looks horribly like they have us over a barrell and can make us pay for any bit of work that takes their fancy - even if its not strictly necessary.  Its lovely to have freshly painted windowsills, but not £2k a year's worth of lovely.  I'd rather be saving those pennies for when something serious- like the roof  - needs doing. I've been reading up on the internet but so far I've not found a way of challenging.

Sorry for such a long message, I'm just feeling really powerless about this and it would be really useful to just feel like I had a bit more info.