- This topic has 7 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 10 months ago by .
-
Topic
-
Hi all,
I did a search for the answer to this, closest I came was a thread on Plantation Shutters.
Here goes – we are on the OC for a SP where approx. 80% of the units face west. Units are 2 story brick, with sliding doors out onto upstairs balconies, west facing. The balconies have gables over them, however the late afternoon sun is ferocious this time of year, and substantial heat is transferred into the upstairs rooms.
A polite owner has asked if they can put up external blinds to stop the sun.
This us seen by the OC as a very reasonable request.
However the OC doesnt know how to politely guide the requesting owner and any others who may follow, if indeed that is possible.
How can we somehow, without being too prescriptive, manage things like
-colours
-fixings
-style.
-Issues down the track with maint. of CP where the fixings have caused an issue? e.g rusty fixings cause staining of CP tiles, or whatever.
The SP is a nice property and all seem keen to keep it that way.
The OC wish to approve the blinds as it is a sensible request, just nervous about the can of worms we may open .
Thanks in advance
-
Replies
-
These articles may help guide you:
https://www.lookupstrata.com.au/nsw-sun-shades-for-apartment-balconies/
There are generally by laws that deal with appearance of a lot and damage to common property therefore approving an additional by-law about the sun blinds at a general meeting and having it registered would be the best way to deal with this issue.
The by-law will need to make it clear that:
the installation of blinds is deemed to be a minor renovation;
and the strata committee can approve the installation but only after an owner submits a request that meets all of the conditions contained within the by-law;
and that maintenance of the blinds will be an owner responsibility.
The by-law could include conditions about style, size, colour etc.
Blinds can usually cover a maximum span of 5m. If your balconies are longer than that then your owners will need to install two blinds, and you will need to decide on a type of side fixing or restraint to prevent the blind from flapping about e.g. a wire or a channel. Some side fixings are more obvious than others and will therefore impact on the appearance of the scheme more than others.
Your Committee members are not trained designers, stylists or colourists. Some committee members may have no idea and no ‘taste’ at all! A colour scheme designed by a 75 year may be quite different from a colour scheme designed by a 35 year old. Many committees contain people of an older age group.
I suggest that your scheme employs a specialist to come up with two choices of styles and colours and then allows the OC to chose between the two. After that choice is made then your OC should proceed with the by-law approval.
There are lots of alternatives for shade e.g. louvres, and blinds, and lots of companies that supply these types of shade products. One such example is this: https://www.stratco.com.au/au/patios/outdoor-blinds/ambient-outdoor-blinds/
Good advice from Penelope about different folks having different strokes in the taste/style/value departments. Scheesh.
I’d also suggest that if the issue affects multiple units you may like to get the body corporate to pay for it, or certainly control it as Penelope suggests. Ideally, you’d have a tight spec that gets rolled out in one go, or over stages as budget (if the body corp is paying) or as desired (if each owner will stump up them self).
Better that this is all done by the one company so they know the work and the site and ideally deliver a better result. If you do let folks get around to it in time it’s better if things don’t take too long or you may find exact items are no longer available, tastes change, technology changes or local govt laws change.
Hi yes, push for the better result short/long term by the property, and mind the different motivations of various owners (and the varying ways they will seek to ensure these). Some have interesting taste, some no sense of value, some want it cheap as, and many just don’t care. Then there’s the differing views of investors v those who own and live there with preference for a pleasant/visually appealing place to live. Knowing all that, and since you are motivated enough to post in here, I’d rec getting your head right around your own preference and pre-consider your responses regarding the others mentioned above. Adding a little legalese and by-law knowledge can also help sell your choice.
We have an existing (specific) by-law about external awnings which specifies the company used/ brand, style and type of awning and the mesh colour. Some owners chose to purchase the awnings, and others chose not to. Each awning is classed as owner property and maintenance is the responsibility of the owner. It is now out of date as the type of awning is old, but we will pursue the same thing when the need arises and the awnings start needing replacement. It works well because it is clear for everyone what is (and isn’t) permitted and it keeps a uniform look around the complex.
Bennifer – Are you able to copy your scheme’s by-law about external awnings to this thread?
It would be very beneficial for all of us if you were able to do this.
You don’t need to specify the source company if you don’t want to.
Are you from NSW?
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.