Not Sure About Apartment Pet Laws? Find Out Your Rights for You and Your Pet
Well, for a long time, this was a widely held belief. And there are still plenty of people who think that flats and Fido don’t mix.Read More
Category: Urban communities
Issues for living in high density communities
Annoyed by your noisy neighbours? Do something about it!
I have to listen to my neighbour’s music and I don’t have a choice. Is this you? And not so into their music?Read More
How to Add Value to your Apartment Building
How do you add value to your apartment? Most likely you’d install a timber floor or update the kitchen. The cost – tens of thousands of dollars – and with a rising property market and a bit of luck you’d see the money back. Even if you don’t want to spend that sort of money on your apartment, you can still add value to it by making sure it’s part of an appealing and well kept building. With thousands of new apartments being built making improvements to your own building may not just be an option, it may be a […]Read More
15 Fantastically Organised Spaces
With sales in Australian apartments going gangbusters, the secret to living in these apartments is fanastically organised spaces. Australians have much to learn from apartment dwellers accustomed to the confined spaces of New York or Tokyo. Organised thinking and discipline is what’s needed when you don’t have a ‘pool room’ to display your collectables. There are handy little secrets for fantastically organised spaces. There are some great tips from bloggers on sites such as Apartment Therapy. I like this blog with gorgeous photos to admire for their organisation. “Beautifully organised spaces are very inspirational for me. Often, I think, if […]Read More
Self-managed Strata Unit Owners work together to transform Problem Block
I have to share with you a wonderful story of a group of self-managed strata unit owners in Ashgrove (Qld). About a year ago they didn’t have a strata manager and their building was in a terrible state. The property was run-down with flooding in the understory of the building every time it rained. The property’s value was declining dramatically. It was one of those depressing stories that keeps owners awake at night. The owners joined Our Body Corp in April last year and began the process of self-managing their strata with some support from us along the way. The […]Read More
Does Your Pool Pass the Test?
Does your pool pass the test? What is the test? Did you know from April next year when a property, with a pool, is sold or leased in NSW that a certificate of compliance regarding the pool will need to be attached to the sale or lease contract? This can all sound kind of complicated, and the message we’re hearing is owners must obtain their certificate of compliance as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the time of sale or lease to apply. We understand that the Building Professional’s Board is establishing a new category of private certifier for pool […]Read More
No Pet, No Apartment
Now I like this twist on an old theme. Pets and Apartments don’t mix. Speak to anyone living in a community of residents and you’ll find the usual points of serious conflict occur around pets, parking and noise. There has been much debate about people’s right to keep pets in apartment complexes with Larry (a dog featured in one of our earlier blogs) the subject of a legal tussle. But check out Judy, the owner of a North Hollywood apartment complex who only allows people to rent her units if they have a pet. She has her own philosophy on […]Read More
Analogue TV signal switch off
Today marks the end of analogue television transmission in Australia, with the country’s final two regions (Melbourne, and remote and central eastern Australia) switching off for good. After 57 years of service, the last transmission towers were turned off at 9am this morning. Now all free-to-air broadcasting in Australia is only available on digital televisions or by using a digital set-top box on an analogue TV. Digital TV means better picture and sound quality, more free-to-air channels and a wider broadcasting spectrum for services like as mobile broadband. But if you’re not ready to say goodbye just yet, you can relive the […]Read More
Pets in Strata Properties
Have you been wondering about keeping pets in a strata managed property? It’s a controversial issue. Benefits can include increased property values and rents associated with pet-friendly buildings and health benefits associated with pet ownership. Downsides can sometimes include disharmony due to disputes over pet ownership and increased cleaning and maintenance costs for common property areas. Currently this issue is only loosely regulated by model by-laws of Strata Management. But the proposed new Strata Schemes Management Act could make some positive changes for pet owners living in strata schemes from early 2016. David Bannerman and Mark Pollinger have […]Read More
Living on the Edge in Danger Highrises
Living on the Edge in Danger Highrises Read More