Homeowner Stories

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
• 2k

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
• 1.1k

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
• 903

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
• 203

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
• 1.5k

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
• 1.1k

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
• 352

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
• 632

Tour A 24-Year-Old Resale HDB Transformation: How A Couple With A $120k Reno Budget Built A Cosy Wabi Sabi Home

Like many couples during the pandemic, Gwen (*not her real name for privacy reasons) and her husband were looking for a place bigger than their previous home.  As such, they were on the hunt for older resale HDBs where the…

• 28 Dec 2022
• 8 min read
• 0
• 502

Tour An Old 1984 HDB Transformation: How A Couple Built A Raw Yet Playful Home With A $90k Reno Budget

Open-concept living is very popular in Singapore, for a variety of reasons. The most important reason though? It can make even the smallest of spaces feel bigger and brighter. And when you have a bigger space, it really allows you…

• 18 Dec 2022
• 9 min read
• 0
• 830

My Experience As A Child Moving From A Landed To An HDB And Back To Landed: Why I Preferred HDB Living Anyway

When it comes to choosing our housing, our children often don’t get a vote; even though we like to think we factor them into the considerations. This week, we spoke to R who has been in the unusual situation of…

• 17 Dec 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 1.4k

I Moved From A Landed Home To An HDB, And I Wouldn’t Go Back Given The Choice

A while ago we interviewed someone who right-sized from a landed home, and stayed in an HDB flat for a time. This time, we spoke to another person who moved out of a landed home, who had a different experience….

• 13 Dec 2022
• 6 min read
• 0
• 1.4k

We Moved From A Landed HDB To A Regular Flat: What We Miss About Living In An HDB Terrace

HDB landed homes were big on the news last year, where there were several units that were sold at a price of over $1 million. This has led to a lot of speculation, such as whether this might be smarter…

• 6 Dec 2022
• 5 min read
• 2
• 677

“I Regret Buying From Taobao” 5 Homeowners Share Their Worst Renovation Regrets

Table Of Contents 1. Lack of ventilation in the bathrooms 2. Getting everything at the lowest price from Taobao 3. Buying fittings from Taobao 4. Insisting on starting renovations before you’ve checked for defects 5. Built too much in-built carpentry…

• 5 Dec 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 767

We Waited 5 Years For Our BTO At Dakota Breeze: Our Review Of What It’s Like To Live There

Everyone wants a BTO, but you aren’t guaranteed one due to the luck of the draw of the balloting system. Plus, there’s always the wait time of the construction as well, which was made worse by the pandemic.  Mrs. Leong…

• 3 Dec 2022
• 5 min read
• 0
• 1k

Tour A 4-Storey Multi-Generational Home Transformation: How A Couple Mixed An Aussie Aesthetic With Japandi Style

Designing a multi-generational house has always been a challenge as it needs to cater to both the individual and collective needs of the residents.  There are many nuances to consider. Do you create separate entrances for more privacy? How do…

• 2 Dec 2022
• 8 min read
• 0
• 553

I Regret Getting A BTO: We Share 5 Uncommon Regrets Singaporeans Have

To many Singaporeans, a BTO flat is the default “first home.” If there are any complaints about this most affordable form of housing, it’s usually about how difficult it is to land one (balloting takes some luck). Some buyers we…

• 1 Dec 2022
• 6 min read
• 0
• 1.2k

“I Lost Over $165,000 By Selling Early” 6 Common Regrets Of Homeowners Who Sold Their Homes In 2021/22

2021/22 is widely considered a seller’s market, with property prices – across all segments – reaching an all-time high. But while we might assume all sellers made of like bandits, it’s not universally true. We spoke to some people who…

• 30 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 0
• 1.6k