It’s wonderful to have your new home. The level of luxury you can afford in a strata building will always exceed what you can afford in a standalone property and who doesn’t love a fresh start.
So how’s this supposed to work?
What can you expect?
When you live in a strata community, you need to embrace being a Team Player. Whilst you can be the ‘ruler of your own castle’ within the walls of your apartment or townhouse, you’re also a member of a broader community and you need to bring your best game face to the task.
You will be sharing facilities with the other residents. This might include spaces you are used to sharing (like gyms or swimming pools) but it also might include sharing a garage area, common corridors, a mail room, which you are not used to. It means keeping to standards that would not normally apply.
This will include being mindful of what you leave on display. I.e. it’s not acceptable to leave shoe racks outside your door in a strata property. It’s also not permissible to leave fuel or oil containers in the garage area of an owners corporation. You also cannot store anything in your carparking space other than your car, or another vehicle (motor bike or bicycle).
As soon as possible, you should reach out to your strata manager to introduce yourself. Make sure they have your updated contact details (often solicitors neglect to ensure this information is passed on to the manager) and find out if there is an AGM scheduled soon.
Please do attend the AGM. The manager can give you much more support and information if you attend the meeting.
You might consider joining the committee. If you do, I’ll be launching my new Committee Training for Strata Owners course soon so you can get all the information you need to make a valuable contribution to the Committee and get involved in the careful management of the assets for your new home.
