This week’s podcast is inspired by a question on our Forum asking what to do about two office-bearers who have taken bricks out of common property walls so as to install integrated bookshelves … with the predictable effect that has on noise insulation, not to mention fire safety.
You can read the original post and responses here. All of which leads to a discussion about the dumb (and inconsiderate) things people do when they haven’t got the message that they don’t own the four walls around their flat – just whatever’s inside them.
Strata Answers
Moving on, we talk to a couple of people who have made it their business to explain the facts of strata life to owners and tenants, especially those tied up in dysfunctional strata committees, or waging trench warfare against them.
Our loyal sponsors StrataAnswers – Tonja Gibson and John Hutchison – explain what it’s like to walk into the no-man’s-land between warring factions in a strata dispute.
They try to take the emotion out of the conflict by applying logic and considerable knowledge and experience.
It’s all about education and communication, they say – and getting people to realise that doing nothing can costs more in the long run than paying to get things fixed.
As Sue says, they are the missing link between strata managers, lawyers and committees.
Unit price droplets
Then Sue talks about how apartment prices have fallen but not by as much as everyone feared. The worst is yet to come (for sellers, at least) but Sue reports the experts predict it won’t be as bad as we think.
Hey, Martha!
And finally, we have our “Hey Marthas” – oddities from the past week that may have nothing to do with strata but have caught our attention.
Sue has been watching War of the Worlds, streaming on SBS and explains why it it makes her feel better about the coronavirus pandemic. Have a look at this promo (but don’t if you’re already addicted to the series as it contains a few spoilers).
And with the TV drama in mind, she has spotted dancing robots at a Korean baseball game, some of which look like the nasty killing machines on WotW. Admittedly, some of them also look like people dressed up as robots.
Maybe real fans have found a way of sneaking into the stadium in defiance of lockdown restrictions.
Scots scotch Airbnb
Jimmy takes partial credit for the impending crackdown on Airbnb planned for Scotland, where one in five properties on the Isle of Skye and one in six in the centre of Edinburgh have been given over to short-term holiday lets, despite chronic housing shortages.
With some relief provided by the coronavirus hit to tourism in the UK, the Scottish Parliament is planning to crack down before it all goes crazy again next northern Summer.
RIP Peter Green
And finally Jimmy pays tribute to Peter Green, one of the guitar heroes of his youth who passed away at the weekend.
Green, who founded Fleetwood Mac, had his creative genius cut short by LSD 50 years ago at the age of only 23 (don’t do drugs, kids), but not before he’d left a musical legacy that still resonates today.
Jimmy struggled to choose which one to sample – Albatross is the best known hit but not really representative. Man of the World is too sad (listen for yourself below). Green Manalishi? Oh Well? Need Your Love So Bad?
All terrific songs (check them out on Youtube) but if you want to know the song Jimmy chose, you’ll have to listen to the podcast. (Clue: You’ll probably know a more recent version by another guitarist, who’s better known these days).
Listen here
If you haven’t already done so you can subscribe to this podcast, completely free, on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or your favourite podcatcher.
If the link doesn’t take you straight there, just search for Flat Chat Wrap, click on subscribe, and you’ll get this podcast every week without even trying. And please give us a rating or review … it all helps to keep us going.
[powerpress]
This is now being discussed in the Flat Chat Forum