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Renovations & alterations

If you want to make renovations or alterations to your unit, you may need approval from the Body Corporate and the municipal authorities. Please be aware of the correct procedures, to comply with all requirements.

Understand

Small cosmetic changes

If you plan on making small interior fixes or changes, like patching up cracks, painting, or installing painting hooks, you generally won’t need permission to do so. In cases where you know there is a chance of disturbing others (like drilling to put in the wall hooks; sanding floors), we please ask that you notify the neighbours in the WhatsApp group when it will happen (and how long we can expect it to last).

Many people work from home and they might be able to plan their calls around this. This is, as per the Conduct Rules, only allowed from 8am - 5pm during the week and 8am - 2pm on Saturdays. No noisy work is allowed on Sundays or during public holidays.

Alterations vs renovations

Alterations is when you are making structural alterations i.e., removal of walls and work that will involve changing the aesthetics from the outside. Renovations involve big internal redecoration of your unit i.e., remodelling a bathroom, or redoing your kitchen. Most renovations are approved quickly, but alterations could take a bit longer.

Note that permission will be required for anything that will change the outward aesthetics, such as:

Enclosing or opening up the balcony of your section

Changing or installing windows

Installing exterior window shades or coverings

Changing doors

Changing garage doors

This is to ensure that the building’s outer appearance remains uniform.

Common property and EUAs

As per the Bagamoya Conduct Rules, you are not allowed to do the following without written consent from the trustees:

Paint, drive nails, screws or mark, damage or deface a structure that forms part of the common property.

Make a change to the external appearance of the section or any exclusive area unless the change is minor and does not detract from the appearance of the section or the common property.

Structural support

An structural engineer’s report (independent and unaffiliated with your contractor) will be required before the trustees will approve the removal of any walls or other large structural changes. The reason for this is that the wall may be a load-bearing wall, and by removing the wall it will affect the structural support and safety of the building.

Hours of work

As there is normally noise and mess related to renovations with multiple workers present for an extended time, the body corporate may place restrictions as to the time of day that renovations may be carried out. The rules will clearly define the hours when contractors are allowed on the premises and how building refuse should be disposed of.

Process

Reach out to our managing agents, Steer, with a renovations or alterations request. CC

bagamoya-trustees@googlegroups.com⁠

so that all trustees are aware of the request.

Steer will provide you with the Renovation & Alteration Application.

Review the rules and processes with your contractor(s).

Optional: involve the trustees and even other owners about your plans before submitting! It might just help you save a lot of time.

Submit your application to the trustees.

Most renovations should be approved quickly. For alterations, the trustees will need to ensure that the outward appearance will match the existing façade, and ensure that other requirements, such as an independent structural engineer’s report, will be included.

Majority of trustees will need to sign off.

Work with your contractor(s) to get an estimated schedule of work.

Reach out to the trustees with the timeline of work.

It is very helpful to keep the tenants informed with the work that is coming, on a weekly (but even sometimes on a daily basis) via the building’s WhatsApp group. Many work from home and might be able to adjust their meeting times when they are notified of loud work a few days in advance. It also helps a lot if you can schedule noisy things (like drilling, hammering, jackhammering) to happen concurrently.

It is very important that all contractors and sub-contractors (as there may be different companies that deliver the building materials, others to install it, others to remove it, etc.) of all the rules in the Renovations and Alterations agreement and the Bagamoya Conduct Rules. The most friction seems to come from contractors parking in the common areas, in front of garages, or in other tenants’ parking bays, unnecessary noise in the corridors, dust and building rubble (which has to be cleared at the end of every work day).

Undertaking renovations or alterations are often a stressful and frustrating experience, for both the owner doing the work and the neighbours enduring the noise, but there is a lot that you can do to mitigate these things.

Best of luck with the work!

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