Manly is unusual: it’s a peninsula within a peninsula, with surf on one side and the harbour on the other, so its apartment buildings take salt from both directions. For strata committees, that translates into faster exterior deterioration than almost any other Sydney suburb — and a common-property maintenance question that’s worth getting right.
Why exterior cleaning is a maintenance item, not a cosmetic one
Under NSW strata law, the owners corporation must maintain and repair common property — and the exterior envelope is common property. Regular cleaning is the cheap end of that duty. Salt and biological growth left on render, concrete and balustrades accelerates spalling, corrodes fixings and stains permanently; every one of those outcomes is a special-levy conversation later. Buildings on the beachfront blocks — North Steyne, South Steyne, the Fairy Bower side — visibly age between cleans in a way that inland buildings don’t.
What a proper strata scope looks like
When committees gather quotes, the biggest problem is that quotes rarely cover the same work. A complete exterior scope for a Manly building typically includes: soft wash of all facades and balcony undersides, common balustrades and glazing, awnings and entry canopies, driveway and visitor parking pressure clean, bin store area, and gutter/downpipe clearing. Ask every quoting contractor to price that same list — otherwise the “cheap” quote is usually just the smallest scope.
Two other things worth requiring: proof of insurance at a level that matches strata work (public liability certificates should be attached to the quote, not promised), and a method statement — how they’ll treat painted render vs concrete vs glass, and how they’ll manage run-off and resident access on wash day.
Scheduling around residents
The buildings that run smoothest book a fixed annual slot (beachfront buildings often need six-monthly), notify residents two weeks out to clear balconies and close windows, and schedule mid-week when visitor parking pressure is lowest. We provide the notice template — it saves committees rewriting it every year.
We service strata buildings across Manly, Balgowlah, Freshwater and Seaforth. If your building is due, ask us for a full-scope written quote your committee can table at the next meeting.
