Read this first from Consumer Affairs Vic: Complaints about your manager Discuss any concerns with your manager in the first instance. Many complaints or disputes start as misunderstandings and your manager may not be aware of the issue. If this fails, you can: contact the committee or chairperson and clarify the manager’s duties and responsibilities in the contract of appointment. The contract may also set out a process for complaints with the manager make a written complaint to the owners corporation or committee. Your owners corporation is required to have a process for dealing with grievances make a written complaint to Consumer Affairs Victoria apply for an order at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) if your manager is a member of a professional body, make a complaint about any breach of its code of conduct. The complaint may need to be lodged by the owners corporation rather than an individual. _____________________________________ So as a first step (absolutely free) why don't you write a formal written complaint to the Chairperson outlining all the steps you have taken etc & the threats you have received etc. Make the letter logical, chronological & unemotional & include all the reports, emails etc that you have. I would copy this letter to: a) the manager you have been dealing with b) the MD/CEO of Strata Plan c) all other owners d) Consumer Affairs Victoria e) all associations that they belong to - according to their website Strata Plan is an active member of industry associations such as Owners Corporation Victoria, REIV, NCTI f) CEO of the insurance company involved By copying all these people in on the complaint you make it very clear that you are serious & you are not going away. It also applies pressure to Strata Plan to do something.They won't like it & should start talking to you in a sensible way. I would state at the end that if a satisfactory consultation and resolution was not found within 14 days you would be left with no option but to lodge an application with VCAT and engage legal advice. Good luck!

thank you for your advise. I have put images of the outside of the house as that where the dining room is from there we will be bringing the decking out 3 metres which will create an out - indoor eating. this is the most finished room giving you an idea of the colour and house. all blue grey tones. sorry about stuff around but a reno house is hard to find spaces below is kitchen as is looking out to the dining through that open servery but we are taking most of that wall out to make an open space - its very small step down below into the dining through the left door way. below is the now dining. the table is very small and hard to pull chairs in and out of hence the indoor out door considerations. belwo is the outdoor looking in. from those doors we are putting a 3 metre decking i think. we have a lot of yard so its easy to do

Hi Katle, I would keep the fireplace as it is, exposed brick, if ties in with the rest of the room styling and the overall style you like and are after. I would than work with the idea f keeping it as a center piece, but utilising the firebox as a niche for a plant or sculpture. In addition, I would have a narrow piece of joinery custom design to work with the proportions of the fireplace, so on its entirety is like a new piece of furniture. The fireplace is still there but has a new function. Or could simple add a narrow shelf and painting over. Monia

All - Thank you so much for your suggestions. Very helpful! Oklouise – Thanks for your suggestions. I like what you’ve done. I had not thought of the the off-centre solid wall suggestion in the tv room. This will make the space more functional. Very helpful. Thanks. Siriuskey – your design was similar to oklouise’s, so again many thanks for this. I like what you did with the entry area so will see if I can make this work given the dimensions of the house. BTW - the house is brick but I am thinking of partly limewashing/whitewashing it - but this is a very low priority item right now. Dr Retro – thanks for your comments. Appreciated. Yes, I'll check the sizing of furniture etc. Kate – thanks for your question re: wall at the end of the dining area. I’d like to create an attractive focal point from the kitchen to the garage wall, rather than just have an off-centre garage door (i.e. going for a look more like the below). I’d also like more storage so I added the partition wall, which could also have cupboards on the garage side. But your vestibule idea could work too. I will look into that while taking into account the other ideas from houzzers here too. All very helpful. Thank you. Dreamer – thanks for your suggestions as well. These give me food for thought so need to ponder more. I’m not sure there will be enough space for a fridge and an island but will draw it up and see. Just to give you more info here, not essential, but I would have liked to be able to have another tv (hidden in a wall-mounted cabinet) on the existing east-west wall that divides the kitchen-tv-formal zones now where the tv faces the kitchen so I can watch the news while cooking. I have looked at adding storage to the entry area as I think the house needs more storage so I will look at this some more again. Thanks again. Really appreciate you taking the time to get back to me on this. Cheers. Thanks again everyone. Cheers.