This Month
Vendor takes $33k hit from levies, but makes it up in sale price
A seller wanted $680,000 for her flat. But when she offered to pay special strata fees needed for the building, she raked in $716,000 from the new competition.
October 2024
Apartment repair laws create extra burden for owners
Tighter regulations on repairs are set to force owners of a four-apartment block to pay over $500,000 instead of $70,000.
April 2024
Buyer plays up strata cost fears before $2.47m apartment purchase
A local purchaser of a Gold Coast unit used the threat of an extra $25,000 special levy hanging over the property to try to put his rivals off.
The suburbs where you can buy a unit for under $400,000
Home buyers looking to score units under $400,000 will not easily find them in Sydney or Brisbane, but Melbourne and Perth still offer plenty, at least for now.
New Defence chief; Investors brace for trade war; Dimon’s big risks
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Strata reforms send bills soaring from just $5000 to $60,000
The NSW government made sweeping changes to prevent horrific development failures. Did it go too far?
February 2024
Lendlease’s epic slide started more than a quarter-century ago
After many false starts, the once-venerable property group’s latest chief faces an uphill task convincing investors he can turn around the troubled business.
What the new strata laws on apartments mean for you
NSW, Victoria and Queensland are reviewing their unit regulations, but it’s still up to owners to take action against dodgy contracts.
January 2024
The suburbs where units tripled in value over 20 years
Melbourne unit market outperformed Sydney and Brisbane in the past 20 years, but may not keep the leading position over the next decade amid oversupply of apartments in the past five years.
Three things you should know before buying your coastal retreat
Investing in apartments near the beach has a sustained appeal for a variety of reasons – but be aware, life is different out there.
Investors to miss out on Mascot Towers rescue plan
Most owners will get only modest compensation in the exit offering – but investors will get nothing except some tax deductions.
How to avoid buying an apartment in a problem building
Owners of units in defect-ridden Mascot Towers have a chance to put their financial nightmare behind them – but it comes at a price.
Time to curb the real costs of living in an apartment
There are things you can do to make strata life better – but they shouldn’t cost anything.
December 2023
Three traps to avoid as more apartments come on stream
As state governments get to grips with the housing affordability crisis, this is what buyers and investors should be watching in the new year.
How to party without being an animal
These are the five things that will drive your neighbours nuts – this is what you can do to avoid them.
Good news for apartments as defects crackdown bites
Buyer confidence is low, but help is on the way after the release of three reports.
Up the garden path with dodgy developers
What’s missing from the new strata laws is any reference to the scandal of embedded networks or, indeed, any duty of care by strata managers.
November 2023
Visitor parking is driving apartment owners mad
What defines a “visitor”? Is it someone who drops in for an hour for a cup of tea or the romantic partner of a resident who stays all weekend?
This is the one thing you shouldn’t miss when you buy a new apartment
The initial AGM of a new block may feel like another meeting that you could happily skip, but your new neighbours really need you to be there.
Hell on wheels as e-bikes face bans from apartments
Charging lithium-ion batteries inside unit blocks is rapidly becoming a burning issue for strata committees – and firefighters.