I only just read your post but we recently had some quotes done for  painting our block, and the painter had just finished a job  with these ceilings. Bondcrete is apparently what you're after. Apply this first and then the paint will adhere to the surface.good luck

Hi TocoAbout your floorboards – I'd definitely get permission. You're new in this block so you don't have a feel for what fellow owners 'can get away with'. If you put down solid floorboards without permission  and the owners corporation take action to have the situation remedied, what then? It will leave a crappy taste in everyone's mouths……[Read more]

if i were you i definitely would pursue this – despite the awkwardness. why u might ask ? well, we had a similar problem 3 times in as many months. believe me this can easily add up to a couple of thousand in plumbing costs. in our case the old clay pipes had cracked ages ago and were constantly letting roots in, thereby resulting in the blockage.…[Read more]

we are currently in a similar situation, but  knocking out the wall may not proceed as smoothly as you would like…the guy upstairs did just that. he is being taken to court for removing the internal kitchen wall  and other unauthorised work. the whole thing is becoming very bloody. that said, if its supervised by a structural engineer who ag…[Read more]

personally i think a written  independent valuation involves more than the 'replacement value of your home'. Rather it is based on comparable sales and therefore should alert you to an agent who habitually 'overestimates' the sale value of your home by 20%. Nothing is worse than this as you will usually refuse good offers, and soon fall outside t…[Read more]

mkc circumventing the agent has worked very favourably for me on one occasion and not at all on another.  the vendors solicitor is generally very obliging and just passes on your written offer.  the first time i did this i actualy bought the property on favourable terms but earned a lot of hostility from the agent. another time, the agent called m…[Read more]

i also forgot to mention that there is a price for everything. i would not go behind the agents back unless i'm almost certain that he won't pass on my offer because of the obvious bad will it creates… you'd want to hope u won't be dealing with him again anytime soon.

i know its pretty low, but what i do is give the agent my offer  in writing, and send a copy to the vendor's solicitor.i only do this if  i think i'm dealing with a dodgy agent…