Lost in (parking) spaces
Just when we think we’ve covered every possible angle on the vexed issue of parking, along comes another twist in the battle with residents who have more cars than they…
Trampled underfoot by fitness freak
There’s nothing wrong with staying fit; even if your apartment block doesn’t have a gym there’s plenty of home gym equipment you can buy reasonably cheaply. But while you’re doing…
Future looks good … if you can see
Welcome back. This is the first Flat Chat of 2009 and I’d like to buck the doom and gloom and say that this year is going to be GREAT. There…
Pre-2104 columns
These are the raw versions of my Flat Chat columns written for the Sydney Morning Herald’s ‘Domain’ section. Some of the issues are specific to New South Wales, some are…
Is there a sanity clause for Christmas noise?
With Christmas just around the corner, and parties coming along in threes and fours like rush-hour buses, this is when we discover just how much give and take there really…
Are lawyers the worst neighbours?
Several years ago an American developer set out to build a gated community that was open to all ages, religions, races and professions … except lawyers. He argued that lawyers…
When repairs break the bank
The principle of “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke” is the least of the problems in strata complexes. One reader lives in a complex of 20 townhouses where it…
Strata shortcut … or short change
When it comes to irreconcilable differences, strata battles can make the irresistible force meeting the immovable object look like an episode of Dancing With The Stars. But recently the Government…
There is free money – but choose wisely
They say you should never look a gift horse in the mouth … but if there’s any chance it might come back and bite you, you should at least count…
Selling misery by the square metre
One of the worst feelings in apartments (after the one when your home dips into negative equity) is when you hear drilling, sawing and hammering in the apartment above you…
Defenceless: Integrity for sale in strata
Imagine if you owned a football club and your opponent insisted on choosing the coach (although you would still have to pay their wages). Then they also provide the referee,…
Can we ban kids?
There are those who say apartment blocks, like actors, should never have to deal with children and animals. The latter is a perennial topic in this column, but kids? Who…