1. If Strata agrees to me replacing my windows (at my cost), does this mean I am forever responsible for the windows moving forward?
Yes. This is an essential part of strata law. if you want to change common property (the windows) you can’t expect the owners corporation (a.k.a. the body corporate, a.ka. other owners in the building) to be responsible for the upkeep of something they didn’t ask for or need.
From what I gather I will have to have a By-Law created especially for my Unit? What exactly does that mean?
Amended response: You do not need a by-law but you do need the approval of the committee and it can impose reasonable conditions
2. If I sell my Unit in the future, after replacing the windows, will the future owner have to sign a special agreement saying they are responsible for the windows?
Amended response: The new owners won’t have to sign anything as the agreement you make with the strata committee should be transferrable.
Will this hurt my chance of a sale?
Hardly at all and certainly not as much as excessive traffic noise.
3. The windows in my building are old, and I know that Strata are actually considering possibly upgrading all of them at some point. If they do go ahead with this, and I have already upgraded my windows, does this mean I will have to remove my windows and have their ones installed?
Highly unlikely. The windows are now yours and if they have agreed to allow them to be installed, then they have to stick with that. However, you will have to pay a share of the installation of everyone else’s windows (unless you are in Victoria) while they don’t have to pay anything towards yours. Maybe you should wait and see what their plans are before you go ahead with your own windows.
I really am new to all this Strata stuff and it confuses the hell out of me. Many thanks for any replies, T.
You can search for any terms you don’t understand, right here. Or you might want to do a little research – at least into why the terms like “the Strata” mean nothing. Read the Fair Trading guide to Strata Living or, even better, go to Strataman.com.au, where everything is explained.