HullyBullys

Just wondering if anyone has bought in one and what they think about them.

Wouldn't mind knowing the pros and the cons

Cheers all

Shoan and Rich

I wouldn't mind knowing what they are.... sounds like a place they keep lifers ready for realese !

brissie-here-we-come

it's the areas on which you have x amount of houses on a little private estate, where you get the community pools, bbq areas .
would be interested to know if anybody has bought too, as the way things are, just about what we could afford to buy.
although do have a nephew who's friend (australian)lives on one , had to drop him off and it looks lovely.

kels x

themerlin

pros : not sure.

cons : like living behind bars and large body corp fees.

Nice Guy

Can be expensive for the body corp fees it depends what amenities are offered but as a rule the houses have a tendency to be marginally cheaper than a house that is not behind gates.

The main benefit aside from the community facilities is the added security of the gates, in addition usually the area is patrolled by a security firm with or without the assistance of CCTV.

In the more upmarket areas there can be security at the gates 24/7.

I understand that body corp 'managers' can be dictatorial about the services and charges that are made and I think there must be a counter-balance of residents who make up some form of committee.

Although I have no evidence to support this notion I think there is a reduced level of home invasion behind gated areas.

Hope this helps!

NG

AndyR1976

The one thing I found was that it depends on who the people are that also live within the complex...

If they are similar age/quite social etc then it can be a great community...

If they are of a different lifestyle/age or whatever it can cause conflict and a generally unhappy living arrangement.

As other have said, there are lots of benefits (security, joint spending, maintained grounds etc) but you obviously pay for this through strata fees etc.

I wouldn't hesitate to live within a gated community if it was the right one and in the right location.

Remember to get a S.109 certificate under the Strata managment act before you purchse - will tell you how much strata fees are, if there are any fees outstanding, and other general info about hte strata for the place.... Also, you can do a search under Section 108 of the Act to view the documetns releating to most recent spendings of the strata body, complaints they have dealt with, any plans for future spending etc.

Timber Floor Au

I think, Body Corps and Strata titles need their own THREAD !!

Its a minefield !!!

Ste

Pisces

Yes, we have bought in a complex of about 50 homes on the upper north shore in Sydney. It has one entrance, not gated. We have a park, tennis courts, swimming pool and club house. We pay 300 dollars a year in body corp fees.
We have 2 children of 8 and 4 so for us it was ideal as they can cycle, skateboard, etc in relative safety. It is a great way to meet people and I have met a lot of mom's at the pool. My daughters best friend at school lives across the road from us which makes play dates so much easier. We were worried about overcrowding at the swimming pool but we have never seen more thant 3-4 families at the pool even on the really hot days.

We have found it really quiete and don't often hear our neighbours. We have a largish garden at the back of our house which is completely private.
When we moved in in December we went to the Christmas party at the clubhouse and there was a jumping castle, sausage sizzle and Father Christmas arrived. We all walked around the estate and the children did a countdown while the owners switched on their christmas lights. It was great for our girls and I think it really helped in making them feel at home. We also went to the Christmas eve street pary and met all of our neighbours.

If you really like your privacy it probably is not for you. We are also expected to keep our front gardens mowed and neat which I don't mind. I did meet one of the residents last week who complained about this as she said she did not have the time like the retirees to keep up her garden. But as we have bought and are not renting we do prefer that the complex is maintained properly. We have a mix of about 30% retirees and 70% young families.
We did promise our girls we would try to find a house with a pool so it has been great having the pool and tennis courts and not having to worry about maintaining them.
We arrived in Oz not knowing a soul so for us is has been great. I am at home with my youngest and I never feel isolated as there is always someone out gardening, walking their dog etc.
We bought our house the 2nd week after we arrived as it had everything we wanted, and was in our price range, although we had never even considered living in a complex before. We were looking at Wahrronga, Turrumara etc. but we found it too expensive for us and we did not want a fixer upper.
On weekends some of the moms/dads sit outside and have a few drinks and watch the younger children cycle and scooter around. It is relaxed and friendly.
Hope this helps

AndyR1976

Hi Ste,its not relaly a minefield if you know what you are looking for (like anything). As a purchaser, there are a few key things that you need to know and documents you need to obtain/read through. I know a little about it here in NSW....

I think the key thing is that people get the correct information up front before they purchase so that they don't get hit with surprises!

Timber Floor Au

I totally agree. However, living within or being part of the "body corp" regime, in some cases, can be a frigging nightmare.

Ste

Wol

And be very aware that, until the community reaches a set ownership percentage, and the strata management board is "handed over" from the developer to the community residents the developer holds the balance of power on the board and dictates the terms.

He can accurately and honestly say that the community fees are for example $400 pa - but "forget" to say that he heavily subsidises them in order to sell the units.

Once the board is taken over by the residents they might get a very rude awakening: it is not uncommon to find the developer hasn't paid the bills, hasn't started a sinking fund and the fees are no longer subsidised and are not $400pa but $2500pa now that each resident has to pay his share in full.

I have lived in gated communities, like them but do your homework!

AndyR1976

There are ways arond this though.....

If you get a S109 certificate like I suggested, then it will detail any outstanding fees - and (this is the KEY bit) anything outstnading as of the date of the issue of the certificate and not listed on that certificate is the responsibility of the previous owner (not the new purchaser). So if you get a certificate for hte month that you purchase a property, any previous fees are the responsibitly of the previous owner (ie developer).

I understand your point about the increase in fees if a developer issubsidising the cost of strata management obligations....... however, thats why you undertake a Section 108 review of the 'books' which details how much money is being collected, and where it is spent, how much is going into sink fund and so on.....

If they are colelcting $50,000 a year but spending $150,000 on things, you know that the developer is propping it up........

I think there are some pitfalls with strata, but you just need to keep aware of them, have your wits about you and (like any property purchase) be vigilant........















My friend just bought into a gated-style strata development.....the things that is driving her nuts is that the strata managment is overun by a heap of old retires ducks who are insisting on spending the good propertion of money on replacing petunias and pruning the roses, rather than fixing any 'serious' problems or making improvements that would have a lasting impact.......

They also complain about everything through the corporate body who seem to spend most of their time writing letters of complaint to residents !!

moneypenny20

Some can lay down daft rules and regulations. Friends of ours rented in one, and were considering buying in the same complex but then found out that kids were only allowed to play in the designated play area, which happened to be out of sight of the home. No one was allowed to play, skateboard, cycle up and down the roads in case it upset anyone.

Obviously this doesn't happen in all of them but it's worth checking out.