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Sep 26, 2018

Tenant of the Month - August 2018

Congratulations to our tenant of the month for August! Thank you for your efforts  :)

Jul 6, 2018

Strata Titles Act Reform

After years of anticipation and hard work, the amendments to the Strata Titles Act 1985 (STA), and the introduction of the Community Titles Bill have been introduced into Parliament. The current Strata Titles Act was passed in 1985 and updates occuring in the mid 90's therefore its a long time coming for this reform! OVERVIEW FOR OWNERS The changes may affect the way your complex is governed and the way some tasks are conducted moving forward. One of the major seven focus areas was improving the way complexes are managed (and well needed in our opinion!).  Electronic communication will be permitted which can have a major affect on how strata manager's conduct business.  This in conjunction with the changes to obtaining quorums, this could also change the Annual General Meetings for owners. In relation to quorums, at the moment owners either have to attend in person or send through a proxy for the meeting.  If 50% of the owners aren't represented, then the meeting must be adjourned until the following week.  Under the new proposed legislation, owners can send through their votes and proxies prior to the meeting, attend in person, phone in to the meeting, or skype in the meeting (where the facilities allow for this).  After half an hour, those represented can decide that the number in attendance constitutes a quorum and the meeting proceeds as planned.  This will make representation easier for owners and save the complex and owners costs from adjourning meetings. STRATA MANAGERS Strata managers have not previously been acknowledged under the Strata Titles Act, with no definition or standards in place. The changes will define the role of a strata manager and put in place further defined statutory duties.  The best news is that paid strata managers will have a standard level of service that they must adhere to.  Currently, anyone can call themselves a strata manager! The new legislation will introduce a minimum level of knowledge, make police clearances a requirement, and ensure funds are held in trust accounts or the schemes own account. WHAT IS A NEW TENURE? In the past, the only form of tenure was Freehold.  This was changed with the introduction of Strata Titles, and it is expected that community Titles and Leasehold Titles will again change the options of land ownership available. This is aimed more at new developments and sub-divisions and will generally not affect current strata owners however Community Titles are very similar to Strata Titles, however it is a tiered level of ownership and is usually a very large scale.  This form of tenure has been available in other states of Australia for many years and the size of these schemes is often comparable to a suburb! Many changes are set to take place in the strata community and fortunately, the Bills were introduced into Parliament before the Parliamentary Recess, which is now in place until August. After this time, it will be debated in the Legislative Assembly before going to the Legislative Council.  During this time, the team at Landgate will be preparing the Regulations in anticipation of the reforms passing.

May 23, 2018

38 Tips on Packing your House

Congratulations! You have sold the house and found the new one. Start making lists. Lists will be your friend. Make lists and check them off. Here are some tips to help this crucial step go more smoothly. Reduce your stuff. Obvious I know, but the less you have, the less boxes you need. You probably should have already had a big clean out before you put the house on the market. Prospective buyers turn their noses up at your crowded garage or stuffed-to-the-gills linen closet. Larger items which may be nearly obsolete (that old tv, computer, treadmill) might actually cost more to move than they are worth – Get rid of them. Stop grocery shopping. This is the time to consume (or throw) all those cans of diced tomatoes, sweet corn and black beans. Empty the freezer and pantry by eating your way through it. Thaw those chops, chow down on all those nearly empty boxes of cereal, and almost finished jars of peanut butter and check all the ‘best before’ dates. When in doubt, throw it out. Calculate how many boxes you need and make sure you have all the packing essentials - boxes, bubble wrap, sticky tape, old towels or blankets. Make friends at the big grocery stores and ask for their empty boxes. Request early or they will wrap them, cut them, and send them for recycling.  Alternatively there are great companies such as A1 Boxes that you can purchase new boxes and return and get a refund or purchase second hand boxes.  Another way to get your hand on these are through suburb facebook pages such as Cockburn Chat, Palmyra People, Kensington Connect. Moving companies or Bunnings have wardrobe boxes so you can simply hang all your current clothes. Zip lock bags are very helpful. In a variety of sizes They help collect like-items: pens, cards, medicine, hair items, phone chargers, toiletries, coins. Better to have too many boxes than too few. Don’t forget a pad of paper, a couple of really good markers, scissors and some post it notes. Heavy things (books, plates and dishes etc) go in smaller boxes. Lighter items (cushions, pillows, quilts, doonas) go in large boxes. Get plenty of mid size boxes and bear in mind someone (you?) must be able to pick up that loaded box. Consider mixing  your heavy books with a couple of space sucking pillows to keep the weight reasonable. Heavy things on the bottom, lighter things on the top. Don’t leave gaps at the top because a box placed on top will crush the one underneath. Wrap your precious things in towels or old t-shirts, sweaters or socks. Loose items will move around in the box and that’s where breakages occur. Plenty of padding and no gaps. Try not to use black bin bags. They tend to rip, your items will shift around causing damage, and more than once someone’s precious pillows have been relegated unknowingly to the tip. Write a brief inventory on each box -  ‘small kid toys’ or ‘photo albums’ or ‘kitchen pantry, spices’ will help considerably when unpacking. Label with the destination, the room you want it unpacked in- Master bedroom, pantry, garage etc. You don’t want to move these boxes twice. Don’t forget to write on all four sides (not the top) to help with unloading. Number the boxes and keep a master list. One sheet with 63 box contents will be very helpful down the track. Your important or valuable items don’t need to be advertised on the side of the box. You will have a list which tells you, Box 8 is where the diamonds are. Make an essential box with cereal and a couple of bowls and spoons, tea kettle, mugs and tea bags, kids favourite cuddly toy and book, dogs bowl, phone chargers, medicine, tooth brushes and tooth paste, a roll of loo paper… pack a box with what is essential in your first few hours of being in the new home. Add an essential change of clothes. Even if it's just fresh undies and a clean t-shirt, it will help. Don’t forget a box with a pillow and linens (or sleeping bags) for the bed, and towels and toiletries for your first shower in the new home. These boxes go with you in the car. If the moving van doesn’t make it, or if you are travelling a long way and get separated, these few boxes will be a life saver. You might THINK you will unpack everything the minute you take possession of the new house, but it’s unlikely to actually happen. Take photos of the back of the electronics, stereo, tv etc, and stick labels on each electrical cord and it's port or destination. Unless you have a fourteen-year-old, who will likely be able to do it without looking. Label pieces if you are dismantling furniture too. I know you imagine you will remember that you need to put the legs on last, but after 24 hours of unpacking you will likely forget. If you are moving a long distance, interstate or overseas, consider your important documents such as passports, birth certificates, repeat prescriptions, jewellery or your dads medals. Consider keeping those items with you either to carry on the plane, or in a lockable suitcase. Take photos of everything. Back up your phone and computer too. Would be a shame if you lost everything because of a slippery grip Quick packing tips Put a cotton ball on top of your blush and close the lid, avoids breakage. Take the lid off liquids, wrap with cling film and put the lid back on again. This prevents a box full of spilled olive oil/ bleach. Pack plates vertically, like old records and they will be less likely to break. Keep screws or curtain hooks in small zip lock bags. Start a few weeks early to at least get your head in order, if not your packing! Be hyper vigilant about your pets too. They may sense something is going on, and can become stressed with all the activity. Pay extra attention and maybe consider a doggy sleepover at the kennels or a relative. Written by Carol Jennings & Linda Healey

May 23, 2018

Tenant of the Month - April 2018

Rhiannon was very happy to see that her tenant in Kensington won Tenant of the Month for April 2018. Congratulations Gillian! Thank you for being a wonderful tenant and enjoy the movies on us!

Feb 14, 2018

Colour of the Year

Purple reign Toodle-loo Greenery, bye-bye Rose Quartz and Serenity, in 2018 purple will reign supreme in homes across the globe. Closely associated with royalty[1], politics[2], Prince[3], Fauvists, mysticism, David Bowie, The Phantom and 1970s-era Monaros and Valiants, purple is set to become the hue du jour. Global colour authority Pantone has declared Ultra Violet (18-3838) is the 2018 Colour of the Year – and it’s not a shade for the faint hearted. With opulence, extravagance and ‘maximalism’ at its core, the jewel-toned statement colour is set to make appearances in homes across the globe – on feature walls, in soft furnishings like sofas and accessories (cushions, throws, linens). “In interiors, Ultra Violet can transform a room into one of extraordinary self-expression, or conversely its polish can tone down a room with subdued, modern pairings. Adding spice and brightness, Ultra Violet calls attention to a tufted couch, piece of art or accent wall. As a color that can take you in so many directions, Ultra Violet makes a statement in any space, whether it’s one of tradition and elegance or unexpected boldness,” the Pantone Color Institute stated. Chosen as it is “the most complex of all colours, because it takes two shades that are seemingly diametrically opposed – blue and red – and brings them together to create something new”, the blue-based purple “communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking”, a Pantone spokesperson told The New York Times. Historically Pantone’s colour of the year infiltrates everything from home décor to fashion and even film and television. Landlords looking to appeal to the trend-conscious may find themselves reaching for Ultra Violet when they spruce up their rentals (if purple feature walls are a step too far, pots of petunias, verbenas, clematis, alliums, pansies, hydrangeas and irises tap into the zeitgeist). PMs with a penchant for purple will no doubt be in their element when they carry out inspections (those with an aversion to the colour might find Jimi Hendrix’s lyrics “purple haze, all in my brain” on a loop in their heads!), as interior designers predict the shade will be wholeheartedly embraced in Australian homes. ________________________________________________________________________________________ [1] Due to the expense involved in obtaining the dye from a small mollusk that was only found in the Phoenician trading city of Tyre, the purple pigment was reserved for royalty and high-ranking clergy right up until the 1850s. [2] Purple was teamed with green and white during the suffragette movement and is favoured by the likes of Hilary Clinton today. [3] Pantone released a purple shade in August 2017 as a tribute to the pop icon. Source: EBM INSURANCE - RENT COVER NEWSLETTER

Feb 7, 2018

Proposed amendment to the RTA: furniture affixed to walls

The Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) is drafting amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) so tenants will be permitted to affix furniture to walls in rented premises to protect children from the risk of falling items. You may have seen in the media that a child died from injuries sustained when a set of drawers fell on them as a consequence of attempting to climb using the drawers as a ladder. The WA Coroner made recommendations that the RTA be amended. The DMIRS is proceeding with the amendment and has sought input from REIWA about where it would be deemed reasonable for consent to be withheld. DMIRS has suggested that, for example, it would be reasonable for consent to be withheld if the alteration would damage asbestos building material or if the premises are heritage listed. We have concerns with studded walls where an inappropriate ‘anchor’ point may not provide sufficient strength and may result in unnecessary damage if the ‘anchor’ is pulled out. The prime implications of the change will be who has to insert the ‘anchor’ points and the disputes at the termination of the tenancy with removing the ‘anchor’ points and making good the wall, especially if the existing paint cannot be matched.

Dec 22, 2017

Tenant of the Month December 2017

Congratulations to Matthew & Claire! Enjoy the movies on us!  Thank you for being model tenants!

Dec 14, 2017

Christmas Colouring Competition

A massive congratulations to our Christmas colouring competition for 2017! Jessica is our artist that put so much time and amazing effort into her drawing and now gets to spend it up large at Toyworld! A great effort and some beautifully coloured in pictures from all the kids who entered the competition, well done to you all!!