Renovation to apartment on top of mine

Discussion in 'Renovation & Home Improvement' started by Apprentice, 6th Aug, 2019.

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  1. Apprentice

    Apprentice Active Member

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    The apartment on top of mine is undergoing a major renovation . I dont know the exact details but do know that the services eg water, gas, sewerage will be relocated. At the moment, our apartments are identical eg bedrooms on top of bedrooms, toilets on top of toilets, showers on top of showers.

    I am concerned about having a toilet, shower or a kitchen placed on top of my bedroom. The pipework for these services are common property. I know that the renovation will need to go for approval to the owners corporation, but do I have any avenues to object . It only affects our apartment, so I am sure that the others wont care and will vote in favour of it.
     
  2. marmot

    marmot Well-Known Member

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    Id go straight to the o/c and keep on top of it .
    Get the plans and object to anything that will possibly create to much noise, water running down pipes or toilets etc , directly above bedrooms.
    Even the type of flooring can drastically change noise levels .
    If the original DA or bylaws states carpet only.
    Then thats what it is.
     
  3. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Anything which comes into your unit requires your approval - drainage (floor waste traps from showers, traps from basins & drainage pipes etc will need to be installed below the slab) these will be inside your property and can be objected to as they will reduce the height of your ceiling. Not to mention the disturbance that you will suffer as they core drill the new services (wet diamond core drill making a mess in your unit).

    These services need to be soundproofed to the current BCA requirements for the transmission of noise.

    The new fittings should be installed back over the existing wet areas. You will get a new ceiling out of this as the old ceiling will most likely need to be removed and access will be required to any stack in your bathroom.
     
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  4. Apprentice

    Apprentice Active Member

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    I am somewhat confused. Why would they need to come into my unit. Cant they make the changes at their floor level. I would not approve my ceiling to be altered.

    It is an old 60's block of apartments. They are solid brick. The ceilings are concrete slabs.

    Wouldnt they have a stack in their bathroom which they could access?

    I think they want to move their services around and they will do it by building up the floor level, which means their ceiling heights will be reduced??



     
  5. housechopper2

    housechopper2 Well-Known Member

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    Just remember that usually when people renovate 60s apartments, the key changes made are making the kitchen and living open plan and moving things around in the bathroom. So the changes are unlikely to result in living areas over your bedroom.

    Possible, but unlikely.
     
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  6. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Services aren't wireless, 5#!+ flows downhill.

    Would you want two steps to get into the bathroom? I doubt that they would either.

    If they're moving services around you don't call your new service provider, it's physically moving the plumbing. :rolleyes:
     
  7. Apprentice

    Apprentice Active Member

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    The owner wants her living areas to face north. In order to do that, they will need to place the living areas over our bedrooms.
     
  8. Apprentice

    Apprentice Active Member

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    Would moving the plumbing around involve works inside our apartment? Wouldnt that need to be disclosed to us? No mention has been made. Only conversations that they want to move services around.
     
  9. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    [​IMG]

    All of the black horizontal pipework (drainage) runs below the slab. If they want to move the fixtures which connect to the drainage, then they need to move the drainage.

    The stack is probably in the corner of your bathroom, everything runs above the ceiling in the bathroom (unless it is exposed). That's why your ceiling is slightly lower in the bathroom.
     
  10. S.T

    S.T Well-Known Member

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    Are all the water pipes internal or external on the block, sometimes they will have one wall with the pipes? When I got a load bearing wall removed in my apartment, all I had to do was notify upstairs apartment and get engineering dual certified. So this might be similar if engineering is involved.
     
  11. Apprentice

    Apprentice Active Member

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    If they want to move the fixtures eg kitchen , bathroom , toilet to another location, am I understanding this correctly, then they need to move the drainage which is located beneathe the slab to also another location.

    This would interfere with my ceiling heights ? Do I have any legal obligation to have to allow this? I consider this totally unreasonable.

    They can do it by raising the floors and do it in their own apartment?

     
  12. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    @Apprentice - you're not obligated to provide access to install anything which will decrease the size/volume of your unit eg if it sits over the bathroom ceiling and they need to move the toilet drainage still within the toilet area won't affect your space but if the toilet was moved over the bedroom and they need to install plumbing, fire collars, insulation and then a bulkhead to connect with the stack in the bathroom that's not going to happen without your consent.

    If they're removing the bathroom ceiling then you'll get a new ceiling & may have to move out (@ their cost).

    Raised floors require steps, doors/jambs/skirtings to be raised etc. This impacts on the ceiling height. Raised floors are possibly a fire hazard and you'll want the areas waterproof.
     
  13. Apprentice

    Apprentice Active Member

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    I suppose understanding this is important.

    Plans are going to be presented with plumbing fixtures in different locations, but without any explanation as to how the plumbing is going to be done.

    Consenting to these plans would be like consenting to allowing them to undertake plumbing works in our unit??


     
  14. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    That's crazy. Why wouldn't the owner have simply bought a unit with the living areas facing north?
     
  15. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Bingo!
     
  16. Apprentice

    Apprentice Active Member

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    That is the reason she is giving. She wants the living areas to face north and also because of the views on that side.
     
  17. Rugz06

    Rugz06 Well-Known Member

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    The details of the renovation must have been put through the Owners Corp for approval prior to commencing work. This is because it is considered major works due to structural or waterproofing/plumbing changes. Your OC may have a bylaw in place and a fee payment for them to complete the works.

    There are so many things here that just don't check out. An EGM or AGM must have been held for the "major" works to commence. So you may have possibly missed this meeting and the works got approved. But they cannot enter into your lot/property.

    You are protected very well under laws against noise, disturbance, structural works etc so I wouldn't worry too much because in the end, if the works aren't complying they will need to change everything back at their own cost.

    I guess this is just a hassle you don't want.
     
  18. S.T

    S.T Well-Known Member

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    drainage maybe external and not run through your property at all. I have two 60-70 built apartments with external drainage. I think I have water supply pipe that goes through common walls though.
     
  19. The Y-man

    The Y-man Moderator Staff Member

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    The OP states the meeting and approval is yet to happen, but is afraid it will be passed due to a "don't care" majority.

    The Y-man
     
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  20. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Apprentice, the first thing you need to do is get hold of a copy of the reno plans. Everything stated above is speculation without an idea of what exactly is going to be moved and to where.
     
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