Life in a condominium is also life in the community, and the duty – and sometimes the pleasure – of sharing part of your daily routine with your neighbours. Most of the big decisions are taken at the General Meeting, but that doesn’t mean you have to abandon your day-to-day relationships. So rather than staying “in your corner”, open up to your neighbours. It’s a win-win situation, both humanly and financially.
Find out how and why in 5 key points.
As a co-owner, you pay communal charges all year round. Sometimes it can be difficult to understand how this money – your money – is being used. By being active in the life of your residence, you will understand how your syndic uses the funds. What’s more, you’ll be fully aware of the really useful and essential decisions to be taken at the next general meeting.
As a logical follow-up to the first point, you must attend the annual general meeting so that you can take part in the decisions that will inevitably have an impact on your day-to-day life. You will also, of course, have the right to vote on whether or not to approve the accounts for the previous financial year.
Don’t join the clan of people who don’t take part in votes, but then go on to criticise the decisions taken. You can do even more and join the co-ownership council. By working with the syndic in this way, you’ll have even greater control over the accounts and estimates put to the vote. You’ll be able to consult all the documents relating to the co-ownership, in terms of both management and administration. In this way, you become a real consultant to your managing agent, for example when it comes to putting contracts out to tender. In this way, you play an active role in choosing the companies that will carry out the work.
Of course, you own your home and are free to decorate and furnish it to your own taste.
While changing the colour of the walls or knocking down a partition is not a problem, some works require the agreement of the residence and a procedure that must be followed. This applies in particular to window frames, communal areas and the roof. To make any changes, however minor, you need the agreement of the co-ownership. This decision is taken at a general meeting. So, at least one month before the annual general meeting, submit the work you want to be done. Don’t hesitate to submit any work that could make life in the community more pleasant, such as creating a shared garden or renovating the facade. All these ideas will then be presented at the AGM and discussed by all the co-owners present.
Depending on the size of your condominium, you may bump into your neighbours every day on your doorstep, from time to time when you take the lift, or very occasionally when you put your car in the garage.You may also bump into them just 1 or 2 times a year: at the general meeting or at the neighbours’ party, if it’s held in your residence. Why not forge links all year round? Successful co-ownership can bring so many positive benefits to its occupants. Have you noticed that your youngest child and your neighbour’s youngest child go to the same gym? Suggest car pooling. It’s better for the planet, your children may become friends, and who knows, the parents too?
Are you retired and want to give up some of your free time to babysit, help with homework or do some odd jobs? Tell your neighbours!
There are plenty of opportunities for neighbours to help each other out. And there’s no doubt that, in such a friendly atmosphere, ringing your neighbour’s doorbell to get an egg to finish his chocolate cake recipe won’t be a problem. Instead, it’s an excuse to have a little chat.
Finally, it’s always easier to ask your upstairs neighbours not to use their drills from 7am on Sundays when dialogue has already been established.
Whether or not you live in the property you own, you have invested a certain amount of money in it.
Being active in the life of your building, taking part in the (right) decisions to be made to keep your residence pleasant and attractive, means ensuring that your property does not lose value.
Whether your ambition is to resell or to rent the property, candidates in either case will look at the general state of the co-ownership before making any decisions. In the case of a resale, this may even be an argument in price negotiations. In the case of rental, if you offer a property in a well-maintained residence with pleasant communal areas, you’ll have no problem justifying a slightly higher rent.
So you’ll understand that, for your wallet too, a good-looking condominium is important. But it’s also highly recommended that you attend general meetings so that you can take part in all the decisions.
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