Many people put renovating or extending their unit in the too hard basket before they’ve even begun. It’s easy to assume that the body corporate or owners corporation will be too hard to get across the line and it’s simply not worth the effort. So, can you start a renovation without strata approval?

In reality, the owners’ corporation has very little power to deny your renovation, provided you notify them and follow all the setback, overlooking, site coverage and other applicable planning and building regulations, though we recommend you seek some expert advice if you are planning to do a large renovation or extension.

Regardless, while your body corporate or owners corporation might not actually have the power to block your renovation dreams, the last thing you want to do is make enemies of your neighbours. After all, you still have to live there once the reno’s done.

Do you really want grumpy Gary from number 4 glaring you down every time you take the pooch out for her morning jaunt? Probably not.

But don’t let the fear of Gary’s ire spoil your fun.

One thing we love to do as architects is find creative ways to turn drawbacks into advantages…

So, rather than getting all your neighbours offside with your new home ambitions, bring them across to your team, instead.

Here’s how:

Go to your next owners corporation meeting and say…

‘You guys, I think we’ve got a bit of a problem here… as you know, our units are in a ripper location. It’s the absolute best place to live, but to be honest, the whole development is dated. The layout is stuck in the ‘60s and not in a groovy way. And, I don’t know about you, but I could use and extra room or two.

‘I just don’t think the look and functionality of our units is doing the location justice. If anything, we’re undercapitalising on this prime real estate.

‘A developer would be salivating over the chance to snap all of these up, demo the whole place, put up some cheap townhouses and flip a quick profit. In fact, the sharks could already be circling, ready to buy us all out one at a time.

‘Why don’t we beat them to the punch and enjoy the benefits ourselves? Perhaps not with a plan to profit immediately, but improve our own lots, enjoy our updated homes and make our property more saleable if and when we do decide to move on.

‘I think our best strategy is to get an architect onboard. They can help us come up with some possibilities. We could ask for, say, three options: one that’s just some cosmetic changes to update the look; one that reconfigures the interior so we don’t have to feel like we’re locked away at the back of the house every night when we’re cooking dinner; and a third option that possibly goes up or out to get some extra rooms. I bet an architect would be willing to give us a group discount if we engaged them for a project like that.

‘And once we have a plan, we can work together to update and improve the whole block. Worst case scenario, we have a great set of plans so we can show a potential buyer what’s possible if any of us decide not to go ahead with the build and move on instead. Bet that’d increase the sale price; all the work’s been done for the buyer!

‘Who knows, we might even be able to squeeze in a shared pool or spa in that guest parking area that no one uses…’

Do you think that might pique their interest and get them thinking as part of a team instead of as your adversaries? Could this be a strategy to get your renovation dreams off the ground and bring you closer to your neighbours at the same time?

We think so!

And, once you’ve lured your neighbours in with the idea of a spruce up and a new spa, we’re here to help you explore the options and develop a plan to transform your tired block of units into the most desirable spot in town.