Podcast: The many sins of commission at Fair Trading
If there is one area of NSW Liberal politics that may be glad that the kerfuffle over the appointment of a trade envoy to New York is drawing so much…
Strata Defects
They range from minor issues with finishes to major structural and fire safety problems – and when repairs are rwuired , the buck stops with the owners. Hers are hundreds of posts that track the failures of the past and the current efforts to create a less defective future.
Missing Mascot papers prove value of the Hub
As if the former residents of Mascot Towers in Sydney weren’t doing it tough enough, last month they received another blow and it’s one that smacks of local government incompetence,…
Saving lives not levies on old balcony balustrades
There used to be a general principle in strata that even if your old balcony balustrades weren’t up to current standards, you didn’t need to fix them unless there was…
Podcasts: Your top ten pods of the year
It’s all very well to be gallivanting around the Scottish Highlands, hiking from B&B to B&B (traditional ones, not Airbnbs) but it’s not exactly conducive to recording a podcast. We…
Off-the-plan purchases back on the shopping list
Off -the-plan apartment purchases are very much back in favour with investors, writes Sue Williams in Prestige Domain magazine. And NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler’s efforts to clean up the…
Tweaks and leaks: advice on keeping the block nice
When we’re pouring money into renovating our homes, no doubt hoping to increase their value if we ever sell, we often forget the old maxim for the potential property purchaser…
Focus on defects and disasters, pocket $100
Want to add to academics’ collective knowledge about living in strata and all the … um .. challenges it presents, and score a couple of $50 vouchers for doing so?…
Commish hands out gold stars, extends contract
Building Commissioner David Chandler is about to start handing out gold stars to the most reliable developers in NSW. And he has announced that he has extended his contract with…
Heat on planners and pollies as cities swelter
Poor building standards and soaring energy costs are forcing one in three Australians out of their flats and houses and into air-conditioned shopping centres and community facilities during heat waves.…
Waterproofing worries tackled in webinar
The devastating rains of the past few weeks have wreaked havoc in the Northern Rivers area of NSW, as well as S.E. Queensland. Here in Strataland, they will also doubtless…
Mascot Tower residents’ assistance to end in June
The NSW Government has agreed to extend the rental assistance package to Mascot Towers resident owners up to the end of June this year. Residents were forced to abandon their…
Podcast: Strata’s next big challenge – ageing blocks
This week’s podcast is given over to one topic – but it’s a fascinating one: What are we going to do about Australia’s older apartment blocks? Sure, there’s been a…