Select Strata Communities

27/10/2026

🎉 Celebrating 4 Years of Helen O'Grady at SELECT Strata Communities! 🎉

Today, we're celebrating a fantastic milestone. Helen's 4-year anniversary with SELECT Strata Communities! 💙

Helen is much more than an exceptional Strata Manager. She's a dedicated mentor, a natural relationship builder, and a driving force in business development.

Her wealth of knowledge and passion for delivering outstanding service have made a lasting impact on our team, our clients, and the communities we manage.

Helen's ability to nurture relationships, support her colleagues, and identify new opportunities is a true asset to SELECT.

Congratulations on 4 fantastic years, Helen! 🥂 Thank you for everything you bring to the team. We're lucky to have you and look forward to many more successes together!

27/10/2026

Another Successful Owners Corporation Management Appointment!

We are pleased to announce that we have successfully assumed management of this boutique 6-lot Owners Corporation in Alphington.

This modern and thoughtfully designed, residential development is now under the care of our dedicated Strata Manager, Emily Wong, who will be working closely with owners to ensure a smooth transition, proactive management and the ongoing care of the property.

We understand that every Owners Corporation has unique needs, and we are committed to delivering clear communication, transparency and reliable support to every community we manage.

A big thank you to the owners for placing their trust in our team. We look forward to building a strong and successful working relationship to ensure your needs are met, each and every time.

Whether you're unhappy with your current strata manager or simply looking for more proactive, transparent and personalised service, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with our team today to discuss how we can make managing your Owners Corporation easier.

www.selectsc.com.au

13/10/2026

We are delighted to welcome a community of 15-residential apartments in Elwood to our strata management portfolio.

Built circa 1960, the property sits within Melbourne’s inner bayside, where mid-century apartment blocks, interwar Art Deco buildings and period homes contribute to Elwood’s distinctive character and relaxed beachside village atmosphere.

Thank you to the Owners Corporation Committee for placing their trust in our team and one of our Team Leaders and Senior Managers, Charmaine Streeter who was instrumental in the relationship. Charmaine and her team look forward to working alongside the Committee to care for the property, support clear communication and decision making, and make day-to-day strata management run smoothly.

Here’s to a great partnership and the next chapter for this Elwood community.

03/10/2026

Today our Director, Peter Black, Maria Arturi, and Helen O'Grady represented our teams at High Life Expo ’26 at Melbourne Town Hall!

With a program covering solar, EV charging, electrification and better apartment living, the expo was a valuable opportunity to explore ideas and practical solutions for Owners Corporations.

Helen O'Grady, one of our superstar SELECT Strata Communities Strata Managers was an invited panel speaker at the event.

Helen was instrumental in the first Owner Corporation solar installation in Victoria under the solar rebate scheme. Along with committee members, she was asked to share her experience and insights from this successful solar installation.

Keeping up with developments in strata is part of our commitment to helping our clients make informed decisions and build thriving communities.

Are you a property developer looking to add long-term value through strategic strata sustainability initiatives, or an existing Owners Corporation seeking to reduce running costs, improve energy efficiency and plan for future upgrades?

Connect with SELECT Strata Communities to explore practical options for your building and budget.

📩 Message our team or visit www.selectsc.com.au to start the conversation.

29/09/2026

Who decides your Owners Corporation levies?

This week's article focusses on Owners Corporation levies and how they actually come into being.

A common misconception is that the Owners Corporation manager decides to increase them. The manager may help prepare the budget, explain rising costs and issue levy notices, but the Owners Corporation determines the fees. Depending on the Owners Corporation, the Committee may be involved in setting them, or lot owners consider the proposed budget and fees at the AGM.

Once the fees are set, each lot’s share is calculated using its units of lot liability. For example, if the OC raises $400,000 and has 1,000 units of lot liability in total, a lot with 25 units pays $10,000 for the year.

So when levies rise, the useful question is: what has changed in the budget? Insurance, maintenance and other building costs may have increased, or the Owners Corporation may need to put more aside for planned works.

At SELECT Strata Communities, our role is to help owners and Committees understand those costs and make informed decisions about funding their buildings. We help lot owners and/or Committees set realistic budgets to avoid the nasty surprise of a special levy when the Owners Corporation runs out of money.

OC levies aren't arbitrary. Learn how lot liability, budgets, and annual AGM approvals determine what you pay each quarter.

24/09/2026

The office of SELECT Strata Communities will be closed this Friday 25th September for the AFL Grand Final public holiday.

If you are an Owners Corporation in our care and need emergency repair assistance to common property over this long weekend, head to our website for more information.

www.selectsc.com.au

14/09/2026

At SELECT Strata Communities, we are always looking for meaningful ways to support our clients.

That’s the idea behind SELECT Connect, our referral pathway to industry professionals we know, trust and are comfortable recommending.

Ray Chamberlain and his team at Chamberlain + Co provide trusted support and guidance across home loans and lending.

Whether you’re thinking about refinancing, purchasing a property, reviewing your current loan or simply wondering whether there may be a better option available, speaking with Ray can be a helpful place to start.

There’s no pressure and no obligation. Just an opportunity to understand where you stand and whether there are options worth exploring.

To arrange your free home loan and lending check, click the link below.

https://selectsc.com.au/select-chamberlain-and-co/

National Mortgage Brokers Chamberlain + Co

14/09/2026

The most expensive problems in commercial strata buildings are almost always preventable.

Underfunded reserves. Compliance failures. Contested lease boundaries. Governance breakdowns. These turn manageable issues into costly crises that disrupt tenants and drain owner equity.

Commercial strata carries different risks than residential because the stakes are higher at every level. A fire safety failure doesn't just inconvenience residents. It shuts down multiple businesses simultaneously. An underfunded reserve means a special levy that might force tenants to relocate.

This week, we have put together a guide covering five significant risk categories that affect commercial buildings across Melbourne, and what proactive management looks like.

Read the full risk guide at: https://selectsc.com.au/blog/common-risks-in-commercial-strata-management/

Commercial strata buildings carry unique financial, compliance and governance risks. Here's how Melbourne OCs can identify and manage them.

10/09/2026

Great hosting the team from Johns Lyng Group Strata Services this week.

Their support plays an important role in the service SELECT Strata Communities provides to our clients, particularly after hours.

Having access to reliable, responsive infrastructure and specialist support allows our teams to maintain an urgent maintenance assistance service when issues on common property simply can’t wait until the next business day.

Strong service delivery is rarely about one organisation working in isolation. It relies on trusted partners, clear communication and teams that understand the importance of responding quickly when our clients need assistance most.

Thanks to the Johns Lyng Strata Services team for the visit, the ongoing collaboration and the critical support you provide behind the scenes.

08/09/2026

3 years with SELECT Strata Communities. Congratulations Colin Milson! 🎉

For the past 3-years, Colin has brought a wealth of experience, calm professionalism and a genuinely people-first approach to strata management.

With nearly 30-years across service, business and management, including extensive project management experience, Colin knows how to navigate complexity.

But what really sets him apart is how he works with people: listening carefully, communicating clearly and following through.

And we think this photo captures Colin rather well. No polished corporate pose. Just Colin. Approachable, down-to-earth and ready for a conversation.

That’s also how his clients know him. One committee member described how Colin’s first step when taking over their property was simply to meet onsite, ask what issues needed attention, and get to work resolving them.

Three years on, we are very glad to have Colin as part of the SELECT team.

Congratulations on the milestone, Colin, and thank you for everything you bring to our clients, committees and community.

We definitely are better together.