In strata buildings, each component and each element has its specific role, interacting with the others like pieces of a puzzle. This article explores the essential areas of knowledge to consider when selecting a contractor to resolve water ingress problems in constructions.
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Too many times we are called as the last resort to fix building leaks. The building has had numerous contractors from roof plumbers to window washers come to a building to patch a hole or put silicone throughout the building, and still the building continues to leak. It seems like the arcade game of ‘Whack ‘Em All’ – plug one hole here and another springs up over there.
Yesterday, I was at a building that had spent $30,000 over the past year trying to find recurring leaks in several locations on one side of the building. The building is 7 storeys high, and leaks were presenting on the ground floor and level 3 apartments. The thoughts were that the damage occurred via 2 separate leaks. This may be the case, but as this was the first inspection and we could not gain access to all areas, we could not confirm this is the case at this early stage. But it did intrigue me that no contractor had even looked at the roof – which upon inspection had major defects.
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It was Benjamin Franklin who said the two certainties of life are death and taxes. In the strata industry we’ve always added one more: apathy.
Those of us inside the industry often talk about owner apathy. We find it extraordinary that general meetings will be adjourned where there might only be 10% of people (or even less!) who choose to participate in the decision-making over what can be a very valuable asset.
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Strata Community Association (SCA) is proud to officially release its ‘Strata Insurance Disclosure Best Practice Guide’, which sets out necessary and critical changes to how SCA members disclose strata insurance practices.
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Network charges are a component of your electricity bill, covering the costs of maintaining and operating the electricity grid. They are separate from wholesale costs and retail margins and are typically less than half of your overall bill. Each year, electricity distributors submit pricing proposals to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), detailing the network tariffs they plan to charge. These tariffs help recover the costs of delivering electricity to homes and businesses.
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When a developer proposes to build next door to a strata scheme, the body corporate needs to take care when considering any impacts that could flow from the development.
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Whilst watching all those superhumans performing at elite levels in Paris, I wondered what kind of Olympian a strata manager would make. So, here’s some thoughts about the how the skills a strata manager exercises compare to differing Olympic events, why and how that could make them medal winners in the property games.
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A competent strata manager brings professionalism, expertise, and peace of mind to the management of strata properties. They ensure that the property is well-administered, financially sound, and compliant.
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At times, committee members and other representatives of the body corporate may be exposed to voluminous, frequent, offensive or inflammatory correspondence from lot owners or occupiers within the community titles scheme.
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The rise in popularity of light electric vehicles (LEVs) like e-scooters and e-bikes has led to an increase in fires caused by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in Australia. These batteries store large amounts of energy, making them volatile.
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