There is a lot to love about autumn — crisp mornings, coolers nights and the changing colours of leaves, to name a few things. However, changing seasons can present strata communities with some unique problems. If you plan ahead, you can use this seasonal change as a chance to review your maintenance plans and processes and plan for winter too. Your strata manager may also be able to help you come up with a personalised, proactive task list to prepare for the season.
Keep reading for some of our autumn strata property maintenance and planning tips.
Is your strata property prepared for autumn? Here are four things you and your strata committee could consider to be ready for seasonal changes the coming months will bring:
While there are many great things about summer, one downside is that lawns can go from perfectly manicured to wild and overgrown in a matter of days. That’s why many strata properties engage gardening contractors weekly. However, during autumn, your strata property’s garden may experience slower growth. This means you may be able to ask your gardeners to visit once a fortnight instead of once a week.
If your strata property has trees that shed leaves in the cooler months, you may need to keep the frequency of your gardening services as is or increase it. It’s best to speak directly to your gardening contractor to prepare a seasonal plan that suits your property.
Your local council generally organises your green waste bin collection schedule. In many local councils, you can request more frequent collections if you have extra green waste during certain times of the year.
If your strata property’s trees shed leaves during autumn, chances are you’ll need a few extra green waste collections. We recommend getting in touch with your local council by late March to organise this, or asking your strata manager to do this for you. That way, you’ll be well and truly prepared when the bulk of leaves fall in April, May and June.
Falling autumn leaves have a way of painting sidewalks bronze and golden in a delightful way, but they also have drawbacks. One of the biggest ones is that they clog up gutters and drains.
If you’ve dealt with overflowing drains and gutters on your strata property during storms, you likely know how much damage this can cause — not just to common property but private lots too. That’s why it’s important to have all drains and gutters cleaned regularly.
Your strata manager should be able to recommend a qualified tradesperson for the job. Having them cleaned thoroughly twice a year is standard practice. Feel free to increase the frequency if your strata property has lots of trees that shed leaves, especially if they fall into drains and gutters. This may save your strata property from water damage this autumn.
As the seasons change and the weather gets colder, it’s normal for your common property and unit energy bills to go up. This is why autumn is a good time for owners and committees to reconsider your energy provider and look for savings.
When it comes to common property, your energy usage will likely increase as your common property lighting will be used for longer periods of the day. If your strata property’s hot water systems draw energy from a common source, your energy usage may increase even more as owners and residents take longer showers as the weather gets colder.
PICA Group customers in New South Wales have access to CommunityUtilities, our complimentary energy expense reduction program. All you have to do is speak to your strata manager to include a motion for the next AGM, or click here to fill in the form, and our dedicated team will guide you on the next steps.
When it comes to individual units, it’s normal for energy bills to increase during the colder months too. This is especially true if you use heating in your unit. If so, consider shopping around for energy savings during autumn to ensure your bills don’t skyrocket in winter.
Now that autumn is here, consider organising a committee meeting and start planning for autumn in your strata property. Key things to consider include the frequency of gardening services and green waste bin collection, having gutters and drainpipes cleaned and investigating energy savings.
Being proactive now may help you avoid difficult situations and reduce your expenses in the coming months.
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