The Last Word In Property Essential news for apartment ownerS Edward Ottley Are you living a life which is informed with what might have been? Quite a lot of our lives are informed with the What if question, Or If only, The constant nagging in the back of our heads that our lifestyles could be so much better if we had only bought that house or taken that job when it was offered to us: if we had that tan or those eyelashes, We live lives that are informed by an idea of regret and also, as part and paroel, we demand to be seen as special. By thinking that we are special we feel that regret with even greater intensity and our sense of entitlement grows, leading to further discontentment. Maybe to hep the situation we should take the view that we are ordinary and, in so doing, we might find our true selves After all, being special misinforms us to the true reality of our situation by colouring it with regret whereas being ordinary gives us an opportunity of empowerment helping us to make changes to our lives in the here and now, rather than expecting our specialness to do all the hard work for us Maybe it's time to put our ordinariness to the test: not cling onto the what if's of the past but, seize the day, and boldly go in a direction that improves our ives right now. For example, if you are an apartment owner, you could help make improvements at your development: challenge the sky high service charge and buildings insurance premium; ask probing questions of your managing agent about the weed strewn flower beds, the litter filled car park and the flaking paintwork. You could even go a bit further and offer to help your managing agent with the decision making or seek independent advice about taking control of your development through taking up a directorship at your residents' management company, if your lease so allows, or forming a right to manage company. For more information about the issues raised in this article, or about block management in general, please contact Home From Home Property Management on 01473 858690 or visit our website: homefromhome block & estate management Home From Home Property Management Ltd, 1 Pownall Road, Ipswich IP3 ODN t: 01473 858690 e: edward.ottley@hthpropertymanagement.co.uk