Good design can prevent trivial disputes, writes Kelsey Munro.

It might be the sound of the giant plasma television your neighbour has installed on a common wall or the red Toyota that steals your carspace. Perhaps it's the clatter of high heels on the hardwood floor above. They are all little irritants that can, over time, make high-density living unbearable. Yet closer living is Sydney's future, and today's trivial disputes could be tomorrow's widespread social problem, new research warns.

Apartment balconies could become ''Hills Hoists on high'' if the state government proceeds with environment-friendly strata regulations to allow residents to hang their washing outside.

The Department of Fair Trading has proposed a change to strata by-laws which prohibit washing from being hung on anything except designated clotheslines without the permission of the owners' corporation - a measure many believe has contributed to high use of greenhouse gas-producing clothes dryers.

When good neighbours become good friends, it can not only make apartment buildings much more enjoyable places to live but also boost the price of the property.

One of the key things professional strata record searchers look at in apartment blocks or complexes when they're examining buildings on behalf of potential purchasers is how friendly, harmonious and happy the residents are.