Homeowner Stories

I Had To Evict A Troublesome Tenant: Here’s Why It’s So Important To Screen Your Tenants

If you’re an experienced landlord, you’d know that sometimes it isn’t always about the highest rent that you can get, but getting a suitable tenant that’s fuss-free. After all, what’s the point of having more money, but more headaches and…

• 11 Mar 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

I Bought My Parent’s Condo (For A Higher Price): Here’s What I’ve Learnt

Buying a property from your own parents should be less stressful; but as one reader shares with us, it’s also a very unsettling experience. This sort of transaction goes outside the usual financial boundaries: it makes you also query things…

• 27 Feb 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

A DIY Condo Renovation Journey: How A Creative Couple Self-Designed Their Home (And Furniture)

When Jo Ann (@home.by.teo) first saw their would-be home, you could say it was already love at first sight.  “The minute we walked into the unit, we fell in love with the large balcony overlooking a secluded, glittering pool, which…

• 27 Feb 2023
• 8 min read
• 1

My Tenant Passed Away At My Rented Property: My First (And Hopefully Last) Experience As A Landlord

Of all the things that can go wrong during a tenancy, the least expected is death. Most landlords have never had to deal with this, but it’s good to keep in mind that – touch wood – it may happen….

• 23 Feb 2023
• 4 min read
• 0

How We Got “Lucky” With Our Dakota Crest BTO: Why We Chose A 3-Room Over A 4-Room

The Dakota Crest BTO launch was one of the most desired sites to date. Who would want a place that’s around five minutes walk from an MRT station, and on the city fringe to boot? As you can imagine, it…

• 21 Feb 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

Tour A Tampines BTO Transformation: A Colourful Eclectic Home That Doubles As A Florist Space

Designing a home is difficult enough even when you favour a certain style, so what happens when you don’t really have a specific design in mind? With no clear style to follow, renovating a home may result in an outcome…

• 20 Feb 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

Tour A 1,227 Sqft Condo Transformation: How A Homeowner Used 3D Renders To Create A Seamless Indoor/Outdoor Home

If you are a design-inclined or a hands-on person, designing your own home would naturally be something that you’d want to do.  But it’s not always just about the design, but being able to effectively communicate what you want to…

• 13 Feb 2023
• 8 min read
• 0

Why Buy A Million-Dollar HDB Flat Instead Of A Condo? 4 Singaporeans Share Their Experience

2021 and 2022 both saw record numbers of million-dollar flats; and while these are still outliers, they are becoming almost expected in some areas like Tiong Bahru, Queenstown, and more specific projects like Pinnacle @ Duxton. But is this a…

• 10 Feb 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

I Right-Sized From A 4-Bedroom Condo To A 2-Bedder: Why I Preferred A Condo To A HDB

When it comes to right-sizing, the assumption is that homeowners will sell their private property to move into a resale flat. However, that isn’t always the case. Some right-sizing homeowners actually opt for a smaller or older (and hence cheaper)…

• 8 Feb 2023
• 5 min read
• 2

I Moved House Because Of Eng’s Wantan Mee: Not Everything Is About “Making Money”

People move to a new home for all sorts of reasons: work, being close to parents, right-sizing, etc. But this week we spoke to BC, a young single who recently sold his one-bedder and bought another, older resale unit. His…

• 7 Feb 2023
• 6 min read
• 1

Tour A 1,345 Sqft HDB Home Transformation: How A Couple Created A Eclectic Home Full Of Personality

When it comes to buying a home, most people would have certain non-negotiables such as price, or the size of the home. For Grace and Hao (@haosofgrace) they had just 2 that were somewhat unconventional – it should be a…

• 6 Feb 2023
• 10 min read
• 0

An Old 1960s Walk-Up Apartment Gets A Major Overhaul Into A Cosy Aussie-Danish-Designed Home

As much as old walk-up apartments can offer better living space and a more flexible layout to play around with, it’s certainly not for everyone as they often require a major renovation job. This can range from having to overhaul…

• 30 Jan 2023
• 8 min read
• 2

My $30,000 Home Renovation Journey: How I Designed My Own Bachelor Pad

Despite all the renovation horror stories going around, it still takes a certain type of person to attempt to design their home on their own without a designer.  For Ethan (*not his real name for privacy reasons), he decided to…

• 23 Jan 2023
• 9 min read
• 2

We Rushed To Buy A Home During The Pandemic: Here’s Why It Nearly Became A Big Regret

The pandemic might have just been one of the worst times to buy a home. Unless you were one of the brave ones that went ahead during the early stages (the beginning of 2020), the constantly rising prices and terribly…

• 18 Jan 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

I Regret Buying An Old Condo: 6 Homeowners Share Their Biggest Regrets

With housing prices still at a peak, it’s no surprise that buyers are turning to more affordable options. One of these is older resale condos – these units are more affordable, tend to be bigger, and have good potential rental…

• 12 Jan 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

A 35-Year-Old HDB Gets A Dramatic Transformation Into A Minimalist Japanese/Korean Aesthetic Space

There are some homes that you view that are just love at first sight. For others, well, you may need a certain eye to see past its flaws and visualise its full potential.  Take Mark and Emma’s (*not their real…

• 10 Jan 2023
• 9 min read
• 0

We Spent $38k On Our 4-Room HDB Resale Flat: Here’s Our Cosy British-Inspired Home

How can you bring the warmth and comfort of a typical British home to your Singaporean flat? John (*name changed for privacy reasons) and his wife did just that, transforming their 4-room resale flat into a luxurious and functional space…

• 4 Jan 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

We Downgraded From A 5 Bedroom Landed Home To An HDB: Here’s Why I Was Happier Than Ever

Sometimes, life’s unexpected turns require us to surrender certain luxuries; but sometimes, those luxuries aren’t all that great in hindsight. This week we talked to S, whose family initially right-sized from a landed property to a flat out of necessity….

• 2 Jan 2023
• 5 min read
• 0