owners corporation Archives

Body Corporate Maintenance: Who is Responsible for What?

Posted on February 20, 2024May 3, 2024 Our Body CorpLeave a commentPosted in News

For those who own a property lot within a Strata Body Corporate in Melbourne, you will inevitably face situations where maintenance and repairs are required. Oftentimes, property repairs can be pricey, and it is worthwhile knowing whether the body corporate should pay or if you would need to cover the costs. Given the variability in size, age, facilities, layout, and condition of a building, maintenance and repair work will differ in complexity, with some maintenance problems turning into major work, especially when multiple lots are affected by one problem. The main purpose of body corporate management is to look after […]Read More

Improve Property Value in a Strata Scheme

To improve property value in a strata scheme, owners must work together to achieve results. This can be a difficult undertaking as people have different ideas about what renovations are required to add property value in a strata scheme. Sometimes people make the mistake of taking the cheap option of simply patching a structural problem or existing defect. This is like wallpapering a cracked wall. Any building inspection from a new purchaser will reveal the underlaying cause of the problem and thus devalue the whole property. This can also cause the impression that there may be other major issues you […]Read More

15 Fantastically Organised Spaces

Posted on June 8, 2014September 13, 2022 Strata Online Expert1 CommentPosted in Design Tips for Strata, News, Urban communities

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

What approvals do I need to renovate my unit?

Posted on May 29, 2014November 9, 2023 Strata Online Expert13 CommentsPosted in News, Strata Compliance

Owners living in a strata community, body corporate or owners’ corporation sometimes want to renovate their apartments. But it’s difficult to know your rights and obligations. Do I need permission from my neighbours to renovate? What if I don’t get permission? It’s not really that scary, more common-sense so dream big with your renovations but follow the rules. This article by Bannermans Lawyers is very helpful for navigating the difference between hammering a nail in a wall to enclosing a balcony. What approvals do I need to renovate my unit? While this article is about renovating units in NSW only […]Read More

Foreign Investment in Australia’s Property Market

Posted on March 11, 2013September 13, 2022 Strata Online Expert1 CommentPosted in News, Urban communities

I was aware that the rules changed in 2010 for foreigners buying into the Australian property market but wasn’t quite sure how it all worked. This is the low-down direct from the Foreign Investment Review Board. “Temporary residents may acquire one established dwelling only and it must be used as their residence in Australia. These applications are normally approved subject to the condition that: the property is vacant at settlement; the property is used as your principal place of residence; no part of the property is rented; and you sell the property when it ceases to be your principal place […]Read More

Unit Owners – don’t miss out on the NBN

Posted on February 14, 2013December 2, 2024 Strata Online Expert3 CommentsPosted in Hints for Strata Living, News, Strata Compliance

Every Australian home, apartment and business will be connected to the NBN by 2021, either by Fibre Optic Cable, fixed-wireless or satellite. More then one in five of the buildings expected to be connected are multi-unit strata dwellings. The challenge is that there isn’t any central register of office bearers or Strata Manager to know who’s managing each building and where they can be contacted in order to arrange connection of the cable to the property. For self-managed strata schemes (an area of particular interest for me with my company OurBodyCorp) it’s important not to be forgotten when the cables […]Read More

Why you need to maintain your strata property

Posted on January 8, 2013April 29, 2024 Strata Online Expert1 CommentPosted in Hints for Strata Living, News, Strata Compliance

Interesting blog post from Michael Teys, well-respected strata lawyer, on the need to maintain your property. Perhaps a New Year’s Resolution to all us strata property owners… Ironically for an area where health and safety laws are observed more in the breach than otherwise, the laws for owners corporations to repair and maintain common property are very strict. The owners corporation must repair and maintain common property are the simple words used to impose this liability. The courts have consistently interpreted these words to mean what they say – just do it – not when you get around to it […]Read More