Renovating apartment

Hi All,

As some of you may have seen, I have recently purchased my first property. It is top storey one bedder in a three storey block of flats.

I will be renovating the flat before i live in it and had some general questions i was hoping some of you may be able to answer.

1. The kitchen and living area are separated by a brick wall, which i would live to remove to open the space up. I have been advised by the agent that it is a single brick wall and is hence non-loadbearing. While some of the information i have read confirms this, what process should i go through to remove this wall? Do i need to speak to a builder/structural engineer? Do i need to get permission from the owners corporation? If so, how does one go about notifying the owners corporation and what powers do they have in this regard?
2. I would like to install some laminate/vinyl timber (look) flooring. I have read here that this can cause issues with the owners corporation. How should i proceed in this regard (i am in Melbourne)?

Thanks in advance.

Kieran.

KieranD said:

As some of you may have seen, I have recently purchased my first property. It is top storey one bedder in a three storey block of flats.

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Congratulations Kieran.

KieranD said:

The kitchen and living area are separated by a brick wall, which i would live to remove to open the space up. I have been advised by the agent that it is a single brick wall and is hence non-loadbearing.

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Not necessarily non load-bearing

KieranD said:

While some of the information i have read confirms this, what process should i go through to remove this wall?

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As below

KieranD said:

Do i need to speak to a builder/structural engineer?

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Yes

KieranD said:

Do i need to get permission from the owners corporation?

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Yes absolutely

KieranD said:

If so, how does one go about notifying the owners corporation and what powers do they have in this regard?

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Notify the BC via a letter and they have the power to say "no"

KieranD said:

I would like to install some laminate/vinyl timber (look) flooring. I have read here that this can cause issues with the owners corporation.

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Yes, it can cause noise on the ceiling of the unit below. Some have to be carpet only - it will depend on noise transmission and BC rules

KieranD said:

How should i proceed in this regard (i am in Melbourne)?

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Again a letter to the BC & they can say "no"

Notify the BC via a letter and they have the power to say "no"

Again a letter to the BC & they can say "no"[/QUOTE]


Can the BC really say "no"? being ur space inside belongs to you and BC should not be able to dictate what can or cannot be done as long as it's meets the building code.

This was also told by consumer affairs victoria.

Prop, uses all of my words, But without the spells,

jcwc888 said:

Can the BC really say "no"? being ur space inside belongs to you and BC should not be able to dictate what can or cannot be done as long as it's meets the building code.

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You cannot just go removing walls inside "your unit" as it may be supporting other floors or in this case the roof.

There is a good paper on it to read here: http://www.partridge.com.au/assets/Downloads/Wall Removal Paper For Website.pdf

Propertunity said:

You cannot just go removing walls inside "your unit" as it may be supporting other floors or in this case the roof.

There is a good paper on it to read here: http://www.partridge.com.au/assets/Downloads/Wall Removal Paper For Website.pdf

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Not arguing the issue of whether it's a load bearing wall or not? It should be identified from the architect's diagrams from BC.

it's the issues of whether the BC can say "no" eventhough everything will be done with a registered builder and building surveyor.

Haven't had the issue of BC saying "no" but wonder if it's in their power to do so.

they will say go and get builders /engeineers evaluation on it first,

But realy who know,s what other people will say, unless you ask???

But play it like this , i am led to believe by opening up the apartment, and doing some internal changes this could increse the value greatly, so in the future others in the complex can use the value here as a spring board, for there own purposes.

might work, but wall are also structual side ways as well,

ahhh body corporates!! gotta just luv 'em !!!

check this thread...http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45014&highlight=body+corporate

My comments starts at post #12.

Be careful how you write your motion proposals...

Thank you all for your advise thus far.

I have spoken to the Manager of the Owners Corporation who has informed me that the rules governing the property are the 'model rules' of Owners Corporations Regulations 2007. I have scanned through the model rules and haven't found any which could prohibit me from removing the wall (provided it isn't load-bearing) or installing a timber floor. Is this correct, or am i missing something?

What is the most cost effective way of determining if the wall is load-bearing? Can one do this themselves (say by obtaining the as-built drawings for the property from the council)?

KieranD said:

Thank you all for your advise thus far.

I have spoken to the Manager of the Owners Corporation who has informed me that the rules governing the property are the 'model rules' of Owners Corporations Regulations 2007. I have scanned through the model rules and haven't found any which could prohibit me from removing the wall (provided it isn't load-bearing) or installing a timber floor. Is this correct, or am i missing something?

What is the most cost effective way of determining if the wall is load-bearing? Can one do this themselves (say by obtaining the as-built drawings for the property from the council)?

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Just from experience from doing apartments (MICM being the owners corporation)

You have to get a construction engineer to confirm it is not load bearing unless you have the architect's diagram which you can get from the owner's corporation. The drawings should clearly identify which walls are load bearing.

Installing timber floor - there are some rules governing them. you are going to need acoustic underlay around 5mm thickness for noise reduction for the floorboards. the timber floorboards would also be required to be fire-rated.

1st thing to do would be to contact a building surveyor.. just go to melbourne city council if your apartment is in the municipality and they're off swanston street. They're called melbourne certification group (which are part of the council)

OUt of curiosity -- WHICH building is this?

We owned a unit in a building where one owner wanted to replace a window with a sliding door and build an extension on to the balcony.

Permission was granted, but with long-winded legal clauses that basically meant that the unit owner was responsible for any future maintenance to the parts of the building she had altered, and those parts were no longer a BC responsibility. This obligation continued to any future owner.

As your renovations would affect the roof, you may find yourself with a future legal nightmare in the event of any problem with the roof.

Yes, you do own the inside of your unit, but if what you do impacts on other owners (flooring that transmits noise to the apartment below) then you will be contravening by-laws and yes, permission IS needed.

Apartment living is communal living, and consideration of neighbours a necessity.
Marg

marg4000 said:

We owned a unit in a building where one owner wanted to replace a window with a sliding door and build an extension on to the balcony.

Permission was granted, but with long-winded legal clauses that basically meant that the unit owner was responsible for any future maintenance to the parts of the building she had altered, and those parts were no longer a BC responsibility. This obligation continued to any future owner.

As your renovations would affect the roof, you may find yourself with a future legal nightmare in the event of any problem with the roof.

Yes, you do own the inside of your unit, but if what you do impacts on other owners (flooring that transmits noise to the apartment below) then you will be contravening by-laws and yes, permission IS needed.

Apartment living is communal living, and consideration of neighbours a necessity.
Marg

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Interesting - i have attempted to have a bi-fold door over a sliding door as the balcony was really large. BUt it was costly so i ditched it. I did however paint the balcony a different color which angered body corporate but i did have permission from 'town planning' to paint the inside of the balcony which wasn't visible from the road. I had to repaint back one ledge but that was about it.

As for flooring - there is a standard in which most body corporates will give you. in terms of materials use.

In terms of roofing. it depends if it is a dropped celing and if it is just going from slab to slab. Most of it would be done on a dropped ceiling being as insulation, piping and the sprinklers would be need to be put in.

As long as you have the building surveyor who issues a permit (from council) and use a registered builder (has warranty insurance on everything) and it is inspected to BCA(Building Code of Australia) - you should be OK.

You will find that the body corporate will work with you to achieve a satisfactory result.