Your Strata Property With Amanda Farmer

Barbara Gill, the general manager of Garage Sale Trail, joins me to explain how our apartment residents can get involved in the nation's largest garage sale. In doing so, Barbara shares a frightening statistic that puts Australia second only to the United States...

Strata manager Peter Wilson regularly inherits the management of small buildings from large management companies. In this chat, he reveals how these buildings are often being charged for services they don’t need, including the lodgement of tax returns and BAS when they have no taxable income and aren’t registered for GST. He calls for more honesty, transparency and competition in the sector, so that owners can receive the personalised service they deserve.

This week: - Reena Van Aalst describes the frustration of a new owner who has been waiting too long for her strata committee to make a decision about her renovation works, - I answer the question: what happens when no one nominates for the committee? - With Reena’s intervention, an owner gets their carpet replaced by the OC, and - We share an opportunity for your building to saves thousands per year on running costs.

Angelique Mentis of thatsmyspot.com.au joins me to discuss: - the innovation that's relieving committee members from their roles as parking cops - why building managers are wasting up to 15% of their time addressing parking problems  - the value of the parking data that will soon be collected around the world - why smart buildings have a "digital twin" and more. 

    Links mentioned: Get the transcript here! Link to James’ images of his properties Episode 229. The Do’s and Don’ts of apartment renovation – with Bernadette and David Janson The School of Renovating Website Brand Within Website James Burgin Instagram page  

I'm sharing 4 must-know facts about 2-lot strata plans, relevant to: - voting - insurance - repairs and maintenance - strata committees

Reena and I discuss: - the perfect storm of events that is forcing managers to seek “quotes to get quotes” - the elderly Earlwood couple bailed out of their “cruel” strata levies with public donations - a little known Tribunal procedure, and - what some owners wished they had known before buying in to strata.

Why are some strata owners telling me that their strata manager is making decisions they do not support? What is the "advise vs decide dichotomy"? These questions answered and more, in today's short episode.

More Australians than ever before are now living in strata and community titled developments. Today, I'm acknowledging the various challenges this melting pot of needs, interests and agendas brings, plus providing some solutions. TIP: there's a deadline nestling in this episode - don't miss it ;-)  

Reena and I cover: - whether an owner making a 'qualified request' for a general meeting can dictate the date and method of the meeting - how unequal unit entitlements can lead to dysfunctional communities - the joys of strata management (yes, really) - why I'm thanking listeners this week

Trevor Rawnsley of ARAMA explains how the "management rights" model works and responds to its critics. We discuss what makes a good on-site residential manager, why communities often misunderstand the role, and what to do when things go wrong.

I recently appeared on "A Current Affair", speaking in support of the installation of equipment that will ensure that a wheelchair-bound 92-year-old man has safe access to his apartment. Having watched, with interest, the discussion sparked by that story, this week I'm covering discrimination law and strata: does it apply in our residential buildings? If so, how? And perhaps more importantly: should it?

Reena and I cover: - what happens when a committee member does not disclose their financial interest in a works contract that's up for approval - why EV charging and other "sustainability infrastructure" can be approved even if no one votes in favour of it - the compulsory management appointment that took Reena by surprise - a lot owner's by-law success before the Tribunal

Zinc Apartments in Sydney's Alexandria recently installed electric vehicle charging infrastructure, making it available to all residents with a parking space. Strata committee member Nathan Hage shares why his community prioritised this issue and steps us through the process.

30 June is looming and this means...new strata law! Mandatory annual reporting for NSW owners corporations is due to take effect soon. Here's your recap on precisely what this means for owners, committee members and strata managers.

In a first for the show, this week I have THREE guests: Peter Johnsson, Grahame Vile and Caroline McConnachie - each an expert in strata remedial works. We discuss: -why remedial works are so painful for apartment owners -the different fee structures used by contractors and consultants  -how to keep costs under control -how strata managers can best serve their clients during a remedial works project, and more.  PLUS keep an eye out for my invitation to Friday LIVE tomorrow, where I'll be chatting further with Caroline McConnachie about this important (and too often, very aggravating) aspect of apartment living. Send through your questions and Caroline and I will be ready to answer them.

I’m bringing you part of last week’s Friday LIVE chat, which has sparked a vital conversation about the impossible pressure being placed on some strata managers at the expense of their mental health and wellbeing. Owners are noticing, and not only are they unhappy with poor service standards, they’re worried about the future of this industry, which has only just started to call itself a "profession". It’s time for a serious talk about workloads, hours, fee structures and simple kindness.

My third and final guest in the “Strata Powerhouse” interview series is John Coleman. John grew Express Glass into the strata sector in the 1990s, helping it become Australia’s largest glazing business today. John describes the “unfettered access” suppliers had to strata managers back then, why he chose to write a book about the history of strata title in NSW and his hopes for a future female president of SCA.

The second in my series of three "Strata Powerhouse" interviews, today's guest is Olivera Ferguson. Co-owner of the Strata Plus Group, in this chat Olivera revisits her first impressions of strata management 20 years ago when she left the corporate world. We discuss how today's "right to an opinion" society is putting pressure on strata managers, why winning back trust is essential and her hopes for the future of our strata sector.

Over the next three weeks, I'm interviewing three "powerhouses" of the strata sector. First up this week: Bill Coles. He shares: - what the strata cleaning business looked like 30+ years ago - the many ways in which strata living has changed for the better (and the few ways it hasn't) - how he overcame the business challenges of the last 2 years - why his family name changed when his parents immigrated to Australia, and much more.