matriarch Posted July 7, 2010 I have been living in Sydney now for around a yeah and have had a few places, I currently am living in the Inner West which is great cause it's a pretty happening place but best of all I can ride my bike to tafe and also to my art course I just picked up. I currently rent a room from a guy and like where I am living, but because of my art really feel the need to find a new place i.e. a live in studio. Cruising around the city you see so many places that look like they are run down and boarded up that would be awesome and are just going to waste - does anyone know how to find out who owns such places and has anyone ever been in a situation where they have maybe talked to people that owned a place like that and worked out a deal to live there? I just think there are so many cool places that a going to waste that I think it would be in the owners best interest to have someone in there at least maintaining the place kinda thing. Also a shoutout if anyone does know any cheap studio setups/warehouse spaces that are livable i.e. have amenities let me know Also cool shots if anyone has of places they have lived especially real unusual places (I was talking to my mate about this the other day and he was telling me how his mate rented a place in Surry Hills and to get to it he had to go through a bank and to the top of the building where he rented a studio that was like the old elevator cable shed and his bed was right underneath these old unusued like 3 tonne elevator pulleys- kinda cool I thought) so if anyone has cool pics of living places chuck em up too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FancyPants Posted July 8, 2010 I've always wanted to live in a huge studio apartment with big open windows letting in lots of sunlight and timber floors and a little verandah, so I can understand wanting to find an inspiring place to live If I happen to see any in papers or whatever I'll post here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matriarch Posted July 8, 2010 Yeah cheers mate- I always dream of finding a run down warehouse with wooden floorboards, big floor to ceiling warehouse windows and open plan with massive wooden sleepers all the way through - Perfect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bread Filter Posted July 8, 2010 That pic is awesome, you could play hockey in there if you froze some water on the floor. Reminds me of 80's movies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted July 8, 2010 (edited) The main issue as I understand it is that most of the places you would be looking at would be zoned as commerical/industrial not residential, so you cant rent it to live in anymore than your you could with the local 7/11 thats up for rent. If its the building thats been zoned as commercial and not the area then there is a chance that the owners could get it rezoned but it costs a lot of money and time so its not likely unlss you pay. Occasionaly, if the property is managed by the owner (instead of an agent) and he doesnt mind then you can get away with it, I used to be so jelous of the warehouse my bro and his mates used to rent in Richmond, they turned it into the perfect nightclub only with x3 bedrooms a small skate ramp and a spa. Ill see if I can find some old footage from my 21st which we had there Edited July 8, 2010 by AndyAmine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
botanika Posted July 8, 2010 (edited) Great idea - if you have a bike just ride around and do some door-knocking. 2 Big problems though: 1) The Sydney Real Estate market is full of sharks that snap up rundown warehouses to turn into boutique apartments making them extremely rare and expensive to rent and 2) Blank unconverted warehouse space your after is likely going to be zoned commercial or industrial and technically you can't live there. You either need to be extremely lucky or rich. I used to live in the converted Trent Nathan warehouse on Palmer Street Woollomooloo, next to Toby's coffee. It was an awesome place but it was essential geared out to be an apartment not a true art studio style of space. Nice but expensive and is an office not residential. chippendale Not trendy but decent space for the price: Belmore surry hills surry hills Newtown warehouses like this just get snapped up by the sydney realty sharks and converted into rich overpriced boutique apartments: http://www.domain.com.au/Property/Sold/Warehouse/NSW/Newtown/?adid=2006161803 Very hard to find anything through agents. Id be more tempted to talk to some business's directly. You mind find the odd larger warehouse that has a 1 bedroom/studio attached to it or as part of the building with zoning that allows residential rental. Particularly if you could find a place where you sort of act as caretaker during the night. Win win. Edited July 8, 2010 by botanika Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matriarch Posted July 8, 2010 Thanks for all the info - yeah a lot of my thoughts were confirmed. Thanks for the links Botanika - I actually love moreso the run down looking ones and industrial ones. Love to see that vid too Andyamine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alice Posted July 8, 2010 I had some mates who used to live in a warehouse, pretty cool space but fuck me it was freezing in winter, and impossible to heat that kind of area. Maybe something to keep in mind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
botanika Posted July 8, 2010 (edited) Thanks for the links Botanika - I actually love moreso the run down looking ones and industrial ones. That's probably the only ones you can afford ;) I also like the idea of having artifacts from a warehouses old usage like pulleys, beams, lifts, old equipment etc. We could all chip in and start SAB botanical headquarters: http://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/NSW/St-Peters/?adid=2008404231 $440,000 each between 5 people. Who's in? Grow a mega hydro setup to pay off the complex in the 1st year, then divide it up and renovative it into boutique apartments, retire and move to Byron. Yeah ok stop dreaming...back to work... Edited July 8, 2010 by botanika Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bread Filter Posted July 8, 2010 We could all chip in and start SAB art headquarters: http://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/NSW/St-Peters/?adid=2008404231 $450,000 each between 5 people. Who's in? Grow a mega hydro setup to pay off the complex in the 1st year ;) That would be wicked! We'd have to install a fireman's pole to slide down though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matriarch Posted July 8, 2010 ha ha diggn the fireman pole, can we have a room full of cushions and beanbags? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
botanika Posted July 8, 2010 ha ha diggn the fireman pole, can we have a room full of cushions and beanbags? The firemens pole could double as a stripper pole for our resident nubile fem bots...yeah ok seriously back to work Botanika... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted July 8, 2010 (edited) RE: Heating and cooling. They used gyprock sheets to partition off rooms and create ceilings, then once painted, carpeted and doors put in they looked just like regular lounge/bedrooms etc on the inside (and didnt look all that out of place from the outside) and are easily heated/cooled. Plus a lot of warehouses have a main rolling cargo door that opens the place right up in summer. I think they used those outdoor gas heater pole type things. As a side note, in the end my brother got robbed blind by junkies one day after a party, even while someone was home asleep. They stole his entire record collection (he was a P/T DJ ad played mostly hard to find hardcore/junge) and some of his DJ/HIFI gear, all because of the location and nature of the building and perhaps word getting out about the place? Edited July 8, 2010 by AndyAmine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted July 8, 2010 The firemens pole could double as a stripper pole for our resident nubile fem bots...yeah ok seriously back to work Botanika... dude take it easy on the drugs okay, you're losing your grip on reality. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quill Posted July 8, 2010 If itś anything like the photo you could go all footloose up in there. Lots of light too, good for indoor plants. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
botanika Posted July 8, 2010 Saw this while looking at property in Melbourne - I wouldnt mind buying something like this... http://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/VIC/Footscray/?adid=2008423090 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matriarch Posted July 9, 2010 I think this would be cool too but like a garage with a roller door (if it had toilet and shower - kinda common from where im originally from- up here not so much it seems) I can put up with the cold and tend to prefer it seeing as I am a redhead Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
