By-law breaches: New links for our new-ish laws
The “new” strata laws in NSW came into effect almost five years ago in 2016. The old CTTT became the “new” NCAT two years prior to that. Since then, at…
How apartments have made us the luxey country
Apartments were once the poor relations of the property market. But now, as Sue Williams discovers, savvy buyers are finding they can get more bang for their luxury bucks in…
Video and webinars reveal smart buyers’ secrets
It’s the biggest purchase and therefore the biggest gamble that most of us will make in our lives … buying a home. And the element of chance seems to take…
Podcast: Pets & renters, prices and owner revolts
This week’s podcast has placed a ban on the C-word … no, not that one, the other one that’s filling our news bulletins on radio and TV and clogging up…
MONA builders to oversee flammable cladding fix
A managing contractor has been appointed to run the NSW State Government’s flammable cladding removal program for apartment blocks, in the face of relatively slow progress and limited uptake by…
Health says multi-unit renos are okay
You’d be forgiven for hoping that, at times of an increasingly out-of-control and potentially deadly virus, our state Health department would be keen to give us clear directions on what…
Forum: Under water but over-insured
It’s not often that you hear people complaining about being over-insured but, hey, this is strata and anything can happen. In a nutshell, an owner installed a nice new timber…
Confusion reigns over blockdown renovations
NSW Health and Fair Trading seem to be struggling to keep up with each other over whether or not renovations are allowed in apartment blocks. According to a Health spokesman…
Podcast: Lockdown PHO a strata dog’s breakfast
We had a new PHO out last week – that’s a Public Health Order, not a Vietnamese noodle soup – and as we discuss in the pod, it’s more of…
Covid-busting comfort food kitchen: Pizza toast
No 2 in our lockdown-relieving, takeaway-avoiding, money saving and fun recipes for easy comfort food … with a little extra. This week’s comfort food recipe could not be simpler –…
Tenants and pets – how to get a home with yours
In these times of enforced isolation, pets have never been more valuable for their comfort and companionship. But there is still resistance among many landlords – and strata schemes, for…
Star ratings to reduce risk in off-the-plan purchases
NSW off-the-plan apartment buyers will soon be able to access “star ratings” for developers and discover that their money may not be as safe as houses when they take the…