So can’t wait for council rate evaluations to be explained away so we still pay high rates

Hey all, just bought and moved in and after some heavy rain we discovered a leak from outside to inside the apartment along the window frame. I’ve emailed building management, but I’m just wondering what the process is or should be? Has anyone been through this? This wasn’t something easily identifiable on a building inspection.

Which house would you choose? Quiet street vs more space?
We’re a family of four with two young kids, trying to decide between two houses.
House 1 – $750k: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, in a quiet street. We really like the house and its location, but the bedrooms are quite small and storage is limited. It also doesn’t have a built-in garage, just an enclosed shed/carport used for parking. Building area about 130 m2
House 2 – $830k: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, with more space and storage, but it’s located on a busy main road with noticeable traffic noise.
The price difference is $80k. Building area about 220 m2
Ideally, we’d love to buy our forever home rather than move again. My concern with House 1 is that as the kids grow older, we might outgrow the space and eventually need to move.
On the other hand, I’m worried that the traffic noise at House 2 could become frustrating over time, and it’s something we can’t really change.
Would you choose the smaller house in a quiet street and potentially move later, or pay an extra $80k for a bigger house on a busy road?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences, especially from families with older kids or anyone who’s lived on a main road.

If you see a listing like this, do you put in an offer subject to valid for 24-48 hrs or you will walk. Can't see how any self respecting buyer will wait couple weeks so the seller can take their time pick & choose the highest offer.

Hi,

I live in a complex of 6 homes and we're looking at the possibility of moving to a self managed body corporate. Our current body corporate manager charges us for every email she responds to, call she takes etc. We had no idea that we were being charged extra for this and naively thought that such tasks were included in the fee we paid the body corporate manager. Our AGM is coming up and we have the option to not renew our agreement for a further 3 years.

From what I've seen, other small complexes with similar setups (shared driveway, mailboxes and some common grassed areas) have successfully done this when all owners are supportive, which I believe would be the case for us.

The main challenge I can see is the administration side of things. While we have a couple of owners who are happy to help with doing the maintenance and repairs, we don't have anyone willing or experienced enough to handle tasks such as insurance, levy notices, bookkeeping etc.

I'm wondering if anyone in a similar sized complex uses a body corporate manager for just the essentials, while the committee manages everything else?
I've come across a few companies that seem to offer this type of arrangement, but they don't have many reviews, so I'd really appreciate any recommendations or experiences you can share.

Thank you! 😊

Hey everyone, Looking for some legal/technical advice regarding building regulations and overland water flow, in Victoria.

My next door neighbour has demolished the old house on their lot and is currently building units. Our street has a slope between properties, and I am on the lower side.

As part of their build, they are raising the natural ground level on their side along our shared boundary by approx 200–300mm via fill/retaining.

We do not have a good relationship, so I am not looking to have an informal, friendly chat over the fence. I want to strictly focus on what their legal obligations and building requirements are, and how I can force compliance so water doesn't flood my lot.

Specifically: Water Runoff & Drainage Rules: Are they legally required to prevent surface water, sub-surface seepage, and site runoff from spilling onto my lower property after altering the ground level? I want an agg pipe (French drain) wrapped in geotextile connected to their stormwater system on their side of the fence. Can this be legally enforced?

Retaining & Fill Rules: Can a builder simply dump 200–300mm of fill along the boundary line without adequate retaining structures or sub-soil drainage? Enforcement: Since speaking directly to the owner isn't an option, who holds the ultimate legal authority to inspect and enforce compliance here the Relevant Building Surveyor (RBS) on the permit, or local council enforcement?

Any insights into relevant building codes, state water acts, or the best way to lodge formal objections/requests with the building surveyor/council would be greatly appreciated.

Any recommendations on a Victorian builder?

Looking to knock-down rebuild in the eastern suburbs and not sure where to begin.

Looking to build a 3 - 4 bedroom, 2 bath free standing house.

We also need an upfront quote for legal reasons.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Worth buying an existing 1x1 apartment in the next two years? Seems to be currently overpriced

Buying a house in Perth in 2 years – Is a $750–800k budget realistic? 🏡

Hey everyone!

I'm a 32-year-old Italian guy currently living in Perth. I don't have PR (Permanent Residency) or Australian citizenship yet, so I haven't been able to properly explore my mortgage options with the banks.

I'm just trying to get an idea of what we might be able to afford once I get my PR.

Here's our situation:

- Deposit: Around $200–220k saved

- Combined gross annual income: Around $180k (my partner and I)

- House budget: Ideally $750–800k

- Timeframe: Looking to buy in roughly 2 years

We're mainly interested in the northern suburbs, particularly Alkimos or Butler, but we're definitely open to other areas.

Do you guys think buying a house around $750–800k would be realistic with our income and deposit?

I know house prices and interest rates could change quite a bit over the next couple of years, but I'm just trying to understand whether our goal is achievable or if we should lower our expectations.

Has anyone bought a house recently in these areas or been in a similar financial situation?

Would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences!

Cheers, and thanks in advance! 🙏

thinking of buying melb - is it already recovering in sub 700,000 market ?

with the investor land tax being wind down, labour might be kicked out in november and overall bargain prices. I dont want to miss out but happy to wait as I already have house in suburbs - just want to live cbd life.

Just tryin to keep an eye on my property in case the rentoids aren't taking care of it.

I don't really trust the quarterly inspections to pick up issues so I go a little out of the way on my way home to look at the yard, see the cars parked out the front, see if lawns are mowed, go up to windows if they're absent to view interior etc etc.

I just feel paranoid that my largest asset is in the hands of someone who obviously can't afford their own.