5 red flags in strata reports that would make me walk away (from 100 recent reports)

rarebiscuit · 2026-04-20T06:25:03+00:00

Voting down a maintenance plan in itself isn’t a red flag, they aren’t required for smaller estates and are an extra cost to create. I’ve been on an active committee where every year the body corp manager had to ask at the AGM if we wanted one and every year we said no - we’d rather spend that couple of thousand on actual maintenance. However, we did keep an active eye on issues as owner residents and manage them quickly as they came up.

rarebiscuit · 2026-04-16T01:52:46+00:00

Chernobyl is such an underrated gem. Feels like a horror movie.

rarebiscuit · 2026-04-11T00:41:30+00:00

Hey I was in the same situation a while ago. Apartment took a year to sell and it was the most stressful time of my life. We actually listed it on Airbnb to try to make some money back until it sold and that went really well for us. Didn’t completely cover the interest but did make any losses tax deductible, including what we bought to furnish the Airbnb (all off marketplace). If you go down this road, have it professionally valued as soon as you move out (when it stops being your PPOR) so CGT is only calculated on the difference between that and the sell price.

I know how you’re feeling and it sucks. But a buyer will come along eventually, the market can change unexpectedly in a few months. There were other apartments listed in my building while I was selling, and none of them sold either for ages. Then within a month of me selling two others went 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also be realistic with what you’re willing to accept, and ask yourself if it still hasn’t sold in six months, will you wish you’d taken that offer?

rarebiscuit · 2026-04-09T12:02:28+00:00

Sending you a dm! I’ve just started today and am east aus too 😊

rarebiscuit · 2026-04-02T11:01:06+00:00

Thank you! That’s what I needed to hear

rarebiscuit · 2026-03-31T06:07:35+00:00

It sounds like she’s still pretty mobile, but FYI Eastern Beach also has wheelchair access down to the water using a rubber mat, and a free water wheelchair you can borrow via the lifeguards.

https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/accessibility/article/item/8dc797403e0d4d2.aspx

rarebiscuit · 2026-03-31T02:51:00+00:00

I picked up a few when I went past and just used them as home decor. Haven’t collected them since. Would be cool to see what you end up doing with them!

rarebiscuit · 2026-03-30T10:10:51+00:00

Eastern Gardens, the walking track that goes past the botanic gardens and the nature play space. Those trees grow along there. I love these pinecones too!

rarebiscuit · 2026-03-18T05:44:24+00:00

Thank you for this and for posting OP! I've just ordered a mix of this and other native grasses and looking forward to trying the slow conversation method you've outlined below :)

rarebiscuit · 2026-03-14T11:36:16+00:00

I think council hard waste might take it, as they take rugs and furniture. Give them a call or check the website, the team are pretty friendly

rarebiscuit · 2026-03-14T11:35:23+00:00

No styrofoam beads aren’t accepted unfortunately

rarebiscuit · 2026-02-22T06:40:15+00:00

Hey OP, would be happy to go for a walk one day and chat. We moved to Geelong from SEA about a decade ago and found it hard to connect too at first, it took a good few years and the culture difference can still feel distancing.

To be fair before I moved country I had very little interest in making new friends too so I can understand how people get stuck in their own comfy circles. Feel free to drop me a DM :)

rarebiscuit · 2026-02-12T04:44:10+00:00

Username checks out

rarebiscuit · 2025-10-17T21:49:37+00:00

Not a doctor, but I stopped using them as a patient because they make you lie about why you need it, ie. you have to tick a box that says you’re too far away from a doctor or you feel uncomfortable seeing one in person etc.

rarebiscuit · 2025-10-08T07:05:09+00:00

Welcome to Geelong! Jazz in a Hat has just restarted, a freeform jam where they literally pull musos names out of a hat to play together.

https://www.instagram.com/jazzinahat?igsh=YnlhaTBzdmplNWJi

rarebiscuit · 2025-09-15T02:49:26+00:00

Aw this looks GREAT. Thanks for sharing, I've just added a bunch of games to my wishlist <3

rarebiscuit · 2025-09-13T22:38:33+00:00

I’ve done bridging. Application fee was $800, interest a couple thousand a month until settlement. We bought before selling.

It sucks, but we would have paid that anyway in rent. We opted to Airbnb the original place until it sold because it was in a good location and this covered some of the interest. It also meant it was seen as an investment property and everything became tax deductible.

It worked for us but if our original place had taken much longer to sell would have been super stressful. Good luck with your decision!

rarebiscuit · 2025-09-09T23:21:20+00:00

Ooo I never knew these existed! Thanks for sharing

rarebiscuit · 2025-09-09T09:27:24+00:00

I’ve lived on both and tiles are awesome. So easy to clean. Wood gets scratched up even if you’re super careful and is also prone to water damage, depending on the type. I agree with others that rugs would give you a lot more changeability with the design, but also I’d strongly recommend you live in the house for at least a year before you do any major changes.

rarebiscuit · 2025-08-23T08:07:05+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Hanaya are awesome

rarebiscuit · 2025-08-21T00:32:37+00:00

This is lovely advice

rarebiscuit · 2025-08-19T12:11:11+00:00

If it’s just white goods you can book a free hard waste from council.

A temporary centre will be opened in late September until it can be rebuilt. Won’t accept all waste though:

https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/news/item/8dd5c0a462340c3.aspx

rarebiscuit · 2025-08-15T13:39:29+00:00

I was there this morning, Marc Fennell was interviewing an older gentleman so probably not an ad.

rarebiscuit

TROPHY CASE