Homeowner Stories

A $48,000 HDB Renovation Breakdown: A Couple In Their 30s Shares Their Renovation Journey

This story is part of our new reno series, which details renovated houses in Singapore and a breakdown of their reno costs. At the end of 2020, Jessica and her fiancé found themselves in the same boat as many other…

• 13 Apr 2022
• 13 min read
• 1
• 3.4k

5 Essential Takeaways I’ve Learnt From Buying Digital Real Estate In The Metaverse

Now I’m no martial arts expert, but I’m pretty sure the venerable Bruce Lee once said: “If you want to learn to swim jump into the water. On dry land, no frame of mind is ever going to help you.”…

• 11 Apr 2022
• 9 min read
• 0
• 222

I Invested $19,000 SGD On Virtual Lands In The Metaverse. Here’s My Experience.

I remember my first time hearing about virtual real estate from my friend back in 2020. He shared with me about a blockchain 3D reality platform called ‘Decentraland’ – something he chanced upon when going down the Reddit rabbit hole…

• 4 Apr 2022
• 9 min read
• 5
• 1.9k

My Journey Into The Metaverse: Here’s What I’ve Learnt From 345 Hours Of Research

In 1994, Jeff Bezos was a Senior Vice President of a hedge fund, not a shoddy position by any measure. But he came across a staggering stat: the Internet was growing 2,300% per year. It was a big enough revelation…

• 28 Mar 2022
• 10 min read
• 2
• 1.8k

♠️ I Was Once Nearly A Professional Poker Player: Here’s How It’s Helped Me Be A Better Property Agent

There was a period in my past life when I used to play poker regularly. I was in my early 20s back then and played against opponents much older than myself – most were in their 30s and 40s. At…

• 24 Mar 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 609

Inside A Genuinely Authentic HDB Home With An Eclectic Mix Of Pre-Loved Furniture

Whatever your views are on older HDBs in Singapore, there’s always been a certain charm about them. Whether it is a unique maisonette or a fan-like layout, you do get more flexibility or creativity with how you’d want it to…

• 21 Mar 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 509

How I Earned Bitcoin From MapleStory In 2011: The Rise Of Crypto And The Metaverse

I guess you could say I am lucky. Maybe being lucky is an understatement.  In the year 2009, I remembered being FOMO-ed into creating an account for an online multiplayer game called “MapleStory” – everyone in my school was so…

• 18 Mar 2022
• 6 min read
• 2
• 355

Why We Ditched That $1.6 Million Condo For A Resale HDB Flat Instead

It’s nearly a cliche by now that every Singaporean’s dream is to buy a condo. Whether it is in the hopes of making money or to chill by the swimming pool on weekends, there’s no denying that the pull is…

• 9 Mar 2022
• 6 min read
• 0
• 4.8k

A Singapore Couple’s 9-Month Renovation Nightmare And What You Can Learn From It

With Covid-19 raging, most homeowners reasonably expect the occasional hiccup or miscommunication, when it comes to renovations. Engage the wrong Interior Design (ID) firm, however, and it can quickly become worse than you ever imagined. From a very delayed move-in…

• 4 Feb 2022
• 11 min read
• 0
• 5.8k

Living In A Contemporary Mid-Century Black-And-White Bungalow In Singapore

Just like shophouse living, living in a black-and-white colonial bungalow is totally unlike any other forms of dwellings in Singapore. With their dark timber beams and white-washed walls, these homes were once built for high-ranking European families in the 19th…

• 17 Jan 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 433

An Introvert Buys Property: Getting Prepared To Pull The Trigger (Part 4)

Every journey has to end. And sometimes, as poet T.S. Eliot wrote, it’s not with a bang, but with a whimper. And I certainly felt like whimpering when I made the decision to buy my flat. I’ve read countless articles…

• 11 Dec 2021
• 5 min read
• 1
• 378

An Introvert Buys Property: The Ones That Got Away (Part 3)

Buying property for yourself is not just any #treatyoself purchase – you’re imagining how your life could be better. That’s what makes letting go properties you like much tougher, because you’re passing on a version of you that could’ve been….

• 5 Dec 2021
• 7 min read
• 0
• 355

An Introvert Buys Property: Finding A Property Agent To Trust (Part 2)

As a self-professed introvert, I’m used to doing things on my own. But after months of fruitless solo property hunting, I finally conceded that I needed a property agent. It was just after Circuit Breaker ended in 2020 when I…

• 24 Nov 2021
• 7 min read
• 5
• 449

An Introvert Buys Property In Singapore: Going It Alone (Part 1)

Buying property can be daunting, and more so if you’re single. And even more so if you’re an introvert. In my mid-30s, I felt it was time to take a deep breath and dive into the property market. The government…

• 13 Nov 2021
• 4 min read
• 0
• 466

A Single Homebuyers Journey During Covid-19: How I Bought And Built My Own Home

The Singapore property market is known for being tough on single homebuyers; and it’s especially hard to find an HDB flat as a bachelor. Nonetheless, some home buyers do manage to build their ultimate bachelor pad, with a bit of…

• 22 Oct 2021
• 14 min read
• 0
• 441

A First-Time Homebuyer’s Journey: Review Of Waterview Condo + Bedok Reservoir x Tampines Quarry

Last week, I started my journey in search of the best affordable waterfront development in Singapore with a viewing at Waterfront Isle (boasting lovely facilities and sweeping views of Bedok Reservoir). As you can probably tell so far, I’m the…

• 23 Sep 2021
• 8 min read
• 0
• 552

A First-Time Homebuyer’s Journey: My Search For Waterfront Views + Review Of Waterfront Isle

With all the time we’re spending at home thanks to COVID-19, I had briefly entertained the idea of moving to Sentosa when prices fell below the Singapore mainland. Gorgeous views, low-density housing, a closely-knit community (according to online reviews), and…

• 17 Sep 2021
• 9 min read
• 2
• 882

A First-Time Homebuyer’s Journey: My Review Of 1 Canberra EC + The Wider Canberra/Yishun area

Have you heard of the Yishun curse? I hadn’t till this year when I forwarded a Yishun property listing to a good friend who immediately texted back, “NEVER, NEVER move to Yishun.” This friend is usually rather a calm person,…

• 12 Sep 2021
• 9 min read
• 0
• 530