Plain-English strata guides.
Six-part beginner's guide plus deep dives on levies, committees, reports, and disputes.
Sinking Fund Balance Guide for NSW Strata Buyers
Understand sinking fund (capital works fund) balances in NSW strata schemes. Learn what a healthy balance looks like, red flags to watch for, and how to check the fund before buying.
Negative Gearing and CGT Changes: What Strata Apartment Investors Need to Know
The 2026 Federal Budget limits negative gearing to new builds and replaces the 50% CGT discount with an inflation-based model from July 2027. Here is what it means for apartment investors.
The Missing Middle: Why Medium-Density Housing Costs Too Much to Build in NSW
Why duplexes, townhouses, and walk-up apartments are disappearing from NSW. We look at the cost barriers, regulatory burden, and strata data behind the missing middle.
The Complete Strata Due Diligence Checklist for NSW Buyers
A step-by-step checklist covering everything you need to check before buying a strata property in NSW: meeting minutes, financials, defects, by-laws, insurance, and more.
Reading Your NSW Strata Levy Notice: A Buyer’s Guide
How to read and interpret a strata levy notice in NSW. Understand admin fund vs capital works fund levies, spot red flags like special levies and irregular patterns, and know what to ask before buying.
Strata Renovation Rules in NSW: What You Can and Cannot Change
Complete guide to strata renovation rules in NSW. Learn the difference between cosmetic, minor, and major renovations, what approvals you need, and how to avoid costly compliance mistakes.
Strata Title vs Torrens Title: What’s the Difference?
The key differences between strata title and torrens title in Australia. What each means for ownership, levies, decision-making, renovations, and your rights as a property buyer.
Beginner's Guide to Strata Part 1: What Is Strata?
What strata title means, how it works in NSW, and what you actually own when you buy an apartment. The first part of our beginner's guide to strata living.
Beginner's Guide to Strata Part 2: Understanding Your Strata Levies
How strata levies work in NSW: admin fund vs capital works fund, how levies are calculated, what special levies mean, and what your money actually pays for.
Beginner's Guide to Strata Part 3: The Strata Committee & Decision-Making
How strata committees work in NSW: committee roles, AGMs and EGMs, resolution types, and the difference between a strata manager and the committee.
Beginner's Guide to Strata Part 4: Reading a Strata Report Before You Buy
What's in a strata report, how to read one, red flags to watch for, and what the financials and meeting minutes really tell you about a building.
Beginner's Guide to Strata Part 5: Common Strata Issues & How to Handle Them
Building defects, by-law breaches, insurance gaps, neighbour disputes, and when to escalate to Fair Trading or NCAT. A practical guide for NSW strata owners.
Beginner's Guide to Strata Part 6: Making Strata Work for You
Practical tips for getting the most out of strata living in NSW: joining the committee, knowing your rights and obligations, and useful resources for owners and buyers.
How to Change Your Strata Manager in NSW
Step-by-step guide to changing your strata manager in NSW. Learn the vote requirements, notice periods, and how to find a better manager for your building.
How to Look Up Your Strata Manager in NSW
Find out who manages any strata building in NSW. Search by address or strata plan number to find your strata manager, their licence details, and other buildings they manage.
What Do Defect Severity Levels Actually Mean in a Building Report?
A practical guide to understanding minor, moderate, and major defect classifications in NSW building inspection reports — and which ones should worry you.
5 Red Flags in NSW Strata Reports That Could Cost You Thousands
Learn the 5 warning signs in strata reports that signal expensive problems ahead. A practical guide for NSW apartment buyers on what to look for before you commit.
How to Read Your Strata Financial Statements
A practical guide to understanding the numbers in your strata scheme's financial reports — balance sheets, income statements, and capital works plans. Spot red flags before they become special levies.
NSW Strata Law Changes April 2026: A Buyer’s Guide
A practical checklist for apartment buyers in NSW after the April 2026 strata reforms. What to ask, what to check in Section 184 certificates, and how the new rules protect you.
Strata Glossary: 40+ NSW Strata Terms Explained in Plain English
A plain-English glossary of every strata term you need to know as an apartment buyer or owner in NSW. From admin fund to unit entitlement, every definition in one place.
StrataChecks vs Reading a Strata Report Yourself: Which Is Better?
An honest comparison of DIY strata report reading versus using StrataChecks. When to do it yourself, when automated analysis helps, and the most cost-effective approach for NSW property buyers.
A 2-Bedroom Apartment in Central Sydney for $229,000. What’s the Catch?
Inside UniLodge on Broadway: a heritage Grace Brothers building converted to 586 student apartments, $1M in legal fees, levies that jumped from $1K to $11K per quarter, and units trading at 79% below the suburb median.
Do Strata Disputes Actually Affect Property Prices?
We cross-referenced 4.4 million NSW property sales with 2,004 tribunal decisions. The average effect is tiny. But the real story is what happens at the extremes.
5 NSW Strata Law Changes That Took Effect on 1 April 2026
Mandatory 10-year capital works plans, standardised developer maintenance schedules, independent surveyor certification, expanded strata certificates, and sustainability planning. Here is what changed on 1 April 2026.
The Buildings That Can't Stay Out of Court
36% of NSW strata buildings that go to tribunal come back for more. We analysed 1,986 decisions to find the repeat offenders — and what buyers should watch for.
NSW Strata Disputes Have Quadrupled Since 2017
From 66 cases in 2017 to 295 in 2025. Strata disputes in NSW are accelerating faster than the apartment supply. We analysed the data to understand why.
The Star Casino Specified Non-Combustible Cladding. They Got Combustible.
The architect specified non-combustible cladding. The builder installed combustible ACPs. The government ordered them removed. The casino sued for $4M. They got $285K.
The Owner Who Filed 8 Lawsuits in 18 Months — And Lost Every One
Eight Supreme Court cases, zero wins, indemnity costs ordered. A cautionary tale about strata disputes gone nuclear — and what it means for every other owner in the building.
Their Ground Floor Unit Flooded 6 Times — Then They Won $255K
How a ground floor apartment in Abbotsford became uninhabitable after repeated flooding, the owners corporation refused to fix it, and the owners won $255,000 in damages at NCAT.
A Planter Box Fell From Level 29 — Now Owners Face a $37M Bill
How One Central Park in Chippendale became one of Sydney's most expensive strata defect cases, with five court proceedings, falling planter boxes, and a potential $37 million repair bill.
How Much Does a Strata Report Cost in NSW? (2026 Price Guide)
Actual 2026 pricing for strata reports in NSW: $180-$350 depending on provider, building size, and urgency. Learn what you're paying for and how to get the best value.
How to Check Your Strata Plan in NSW (2026 Guide)
Complete guide to finding and checking strata plans in NSW. Learn how to access plans through NSW LRS, what information they contain, and how to verify your apartment's lot number.
What Is a Good Sinking Fund Balance for Strata in NSW?
Data-driven benchmarks for NSW strata sinking funds. Learn what healthy looks like vs. deal-breaker underfunding, based on 88,000+ buildings.
We Analysed 2,000 Strata Disputes in NSW — Here's What Goes Wrong Most
Data-driven analysis of 1,986 NCAT tribunal decisions. Renovations cause 2x more disputes than building defects, cases have quadrupled since 2015, and 36% of buildings are repeat offenders.
How to Read a Strata Report in NSW: The Complete Buyer's Guide
Learn exactly what to look for in a strata report, in what order, so you can assess a building's financial health before you buy.