373 replies to this topic

[Sparky]

Welcome to Vibrant Victoria grey313. Sorry for the delay on approving your first post. Our bad.

 

I hope one of our condo experts can help you with your question. In the strata that I belong to we can't even use the last of the toilet paper without council approval.

[Sparky]

I haven't even moved in yet and I saw people have already taken down some of the "trellis" style balcony walls at Haven. IMO, it makes the exterior look worse and ruins the zig-zag pattern the developer intended... is this going to be an issue for the strata? I've never owned a condo before so not sure how this type of thing is normally handled.

 

I am reposting grey313's post because we were tardy in approving it and it landed on the last page.

 

Anyone have some help for our newest member? See my post above.

[Tony]

Exterior elements are strata controlled. Strata can choose not to act.  Also perhaps pass a bylaw relating to this since it may be on limited common property. Since it may be deemed to be a major visual effect change a 75% approval may be required for a change..

[Mike K.]

That could lead to strata action, but the strata is likely just getting settled in and learning the ropes.

In my experience, anything related to the building exterior, including fenestration, is not taken lightly.

[grey313]

I feel dumb for asking... I'm moved in and I took a better look, it's just part of the building design that some of the units on either end of the section with the trellises don't have them. Thank you for the replies though, I'm posting from my new condo now   

[Sparky]

Congratulations grey. First purchase?

[grey313]

Yep. Spent like 5 years living in an absolute dump because of the low rent, but it feels like it finally paid off now. I'm really happy with how the building turned out.

[Sparky]

Nice. Great story.

[Mike K.]

Nice! Good for you, Grey. I have a couple of friends who bought in the building.

Congratulations on your purchase.

[MarkoJ]

Yep. Spent like 5 years living in an absolute dump because of the low rent, but it feels like it finally paid off now. I'm really happy with how the building turned out.

 

Congrats! 

[aastra]

Pic:

 

[Nparker]

This must be the Yates Street facade.

[Doctor Detroit]

This must be the Yates Street facade.

It is. I believe I can just see the horizontal gray-and-white stripes of the top right unit from my window. If I'm right, the top floor visible in this photo is below the first of two setbacks.

 

(Not the best photo; zoomed, shot through two windows, cropped.)

Attached Images

• 

[Doctor Detroit]

This is a four-property photo: clockwise from the Nest, there's a corner of the (relatively) new rental on McClure, the top floors of the supportive housing on Meares, a lot of the Mod.

Edited by Doctor Detroit, 27 June 2024 - 08:22 PM.

[Doctor Detroit]

I haven't even moved in yet and I saw people have already taken down some of the "trellis" style balcony walls at Haven. IMO, it makes the exterior look worse and ruins the zig-zag pattern the developer intended... is this going to be an issue for the strata? I've never owned a condo before so not sure how this type of thing is normally handled.

I've lived in condos both here and in Virginia, and been a council member at both. I don't have experience with a brand-new building, but the package of documents you should have received pre-purchase should include the rules and bylaws as they were originally established.

The balconies and trellises might be part of the strata lot (so, property of the individual units), or they might be limited common areas, which means that (possibly like exterior doors and windows) they're the strata's responsibility to maintain. Either the rules or the bylaws may place limitations on what an owner can do with regard to a trellis.

I'd be very interested in learning how a brand-new strata goes about these things, and especially how they deal with the contingency reserve fund (capital fund for maintenance and replacement of strata infrastructure like roofs, heat, elevators, fire safety, etc., etc.

[Mike K.]

Looking northeast in that photo. I couldn’t figure it out at first! Neat angle, Doc.

[Doctor Detroit]

Looking northeast in that photo. I couldn’t figure it out at first! Neat angle, Doc.

I should have been clearer. I'm south of Fort and west of Cook. Pic is from my den / second bedroom. If I stand in just the right place, through the leaves I also see an upper sliver of the Dalmatian and of the Jukebox. From another window (both on the north side) I can see pieces of 989 Johnson, an edge of the Wedge, a little piece of the Legato.

In nearly nine years, I've had more cranes in view than I've had squirrels.

 

[aastra]

 

In nearly nine years, I've had more cranes in view than I've had squirrels.

 

Cranes are the natural predator of squirrels so that makes sense. The more cranes, the fewer squirrels. It's nature's balance.

[YYJGuy]

I've lived in condos both here and in Virginia, and been a council member at both. I don't have experience with a brand-new building, but the package of documents you should have received pre-purchase should include the rules and bylaws as they were originally established.

The balconies and trellises might be part of the strata lot (so, property of the individual units), or they might be limited common areas, which means that (possibly like exterior doors and windows) they're the strata's responsibility to maintain. Either the rules or the bylaws may place limitations on what an owner can do with regard to a trellis.

I'd be very interested in learning how a brand-new strata goes about these things, and especially how they deal with the contingency reserve fund (capital fund for maintenance and replacement of strata infrastructure like roofs, heat, elevators, fire safety, etc., etc.

Having been in a brand new strata just a few years ago, it isn't easy.  It would be great if at least some of council members had previous experience, but that may be unlikely because of the requirements needed to get into this property.  A lot depends on the Property Manager being very competent.  The strata needs to put the equivalent of 10% of the operating fund into the reserve fund each year until the fund reaches 40% of the operating fund.

Edited by YYJGuy, 29 June 2024 - 12:18 PM.

[grey313]

I guess it's because of the unit layout but I'm not a fan of how the "ice cream cake" paneling is disjointed on the Yates-side facade of Nest. It's especially weird because it's aligned on the Johnson-facing side of the building. Well, at least I don't have to look at it every day (my Haven unit is South facing, looking at Nest).

 

Regarding the Haven strata, nothing has been set up yet since folks are still moving in. Should be any week now I guess. I think I'd be good at it but likely I will stay off for the first round of elections and only apply if I don't like the way it's being run. For what it's worth I think we do have a good property manager, although I don't have anyone to use for comparison.