It has to be the glazed balcony. It’s a lovely spot to read and relax. Back when my son was younger, the balcony on the first floor also gave me a good vantage point for keeping an eye on him when he played in the yard.

I love so many details of our spacious living room and open kitchen. But if I have to choose one, I guess it would be the sofa.

It depends on what I feel like doing. It could be going for a run or just reading a book on the sofa I mentioned. I also sing semi-professionally, so that’s another nice way to relax.

I like to be up to speed with what’s happening in the building and how we can use and develop the shared facilities, for instance. The fitness centre that is now available to the tenants is one good example of that. I also enjoy organising events and the rewarding feeling of seeing people have a good time. Our Christmas party is one such event. We have a Christmas tree, baked ham and casseroles, seasonal music and Christmas lights. It’s clearly a meaningful celebration for many of the tenants, and it puts us as the organisers in a nice frame of mind as well.

It’s impossible to pick one. The Christmas party I just mentioned is definitely up there. But I’d also highlight a day last June, when those of us who stayed in the city for Midsummer had an impromptu barbecue party. It was nice to see that you don’t always have to spend a lot of time organising an event. Spontaneous social activities are good fun as well. We also have a great time at our work parties and yard parties.

There’s a few actually. It will be the 20th anniversary of this housing company next year, so we’ve been planning an event to mark the occasion. The neighbouring building turned 20 years old this year and the other building will reach that milestone next year, so we should celebrate that somehow.

You should join the community events and get to know your neighbours. I’ve talked to people who are reluctant to join our work parties because they aren’t physically capable of doing yard work. I’ve tried to explain that we don’t expect everyone who attends the event to work strenuously. It’s more important to spend time together, exchange ideas and opinions and realise that there are lovely people living right next door. Besides, there’s always demand for supervisors!

Get involved, let people know you want to participate. Don’t be shy. In the six years that I’ve been involved in these activities, I’ve had the opportunity to see a lot, do a lot and come up with a lot of ideas. You might end up making new friends on the house committee. At least that’s what happened in my case.