Homeowner Stories

“I Regret Not Installing A Ceiling Fan” 5 Real-Life Renovation Regrets Shared By Singaporeans

A lot can go wrong with renovations, and it’s not always the contractor’s fault. From picking an impractical (but seemingly pretty) design, to simple slip-ups like the positioning of wall sockets, many homeowners manage to inconvenience themselves. These can sometimes…

• 21 Nov 2022
• 7 min read
• 3
• 4.8k

Tour This Dawson BTO Transformation: How A Couple Achieved A Cosy Korean Aesthetic Look With A $50k Reno Budget

Who doesn’t like to work from home?  Other than the advantage of not having to spend money or time travelling, you get to enjoy working in a more comfortable environment. And what could be more comfortable than home, right? While…

• 21 Nov 2022
• 8 min read
• 0
• 2.1k

A $45,000 HDB Renovation Breakdown: A Couple Shares Their Reno Costs And Furnishings

For first-time homeowners looking to renovate their home, it’s often like navigating a maze. From choosing the right ID, to knowing how to compare quotes, or just trying to figure out if you are getting fleeced – it’s hard to…

• 17 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 2
• 1.4k

How A Couple With A $70k Reno Budget Created A Minimalist And Clutter-Free Home

Unless you have an OCD nature, keeping a home constantly clean and neat is always a challenge. It happens to everyone. When you first move in, everything is brand new, and you are motivated to keep the house clean and…

• 16 Nov 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 1.3k

“I Regret Spending $11,000 On My Kid’s Bedroom” 6 Painful Renovation Regrets Shared By Homeowners

Just like buying a home, the renovation process is one that is hard to reverse. It can be extremely costly (having to redo all the cabinetry), or just very disruptive to daily life (especially when you have little ones at…

• 15 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 1
• 4k

A 23-Year-Old HDB In Kallang Gets A Major Transformation Into A Calming Gallery-Like Space

Buying an older home, while more affordable, can come with its own set of problems as well.  Sometimes they may look good on the surface, but behind the exterior facade, the electrical wiring may be problematic, the plumbing system might…

• 12 Nov 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 1.5k

I Regret Selling My HDB To Upgrade To A Condo: 4 Homeowners Share Their Story

To most Singaporeans, upgrading is seen as the “natural” thing to do if you start earning more, or your flat appreciates. We probably don’t need to go over the reasons, as there are hundreds of agents waiting to explain to…

• 5 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 8
• 7.1k

I Regret Moving From A Condo To A HDB: 5 Elderly Homeowners Share Their Biggest Regrets

As the Singapore population ages, comfortable accommodation for the elderly will be a crucial issue. To date, however, the one-size-fits-all solution we’ve applied is “let them sell their property and buy a smaller flat.” But it’s good to look deeper…

• 1 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 0
• 2.3k

Inside A Cosy $45k Renovation Of A Tiong Bahru HDB: How A Couple Self-Designed Their European/Jap-Inspired Home

“Funny story with our furniture is that unlike most homeowners, we moved into our home with no furniture… only a bed.” It takes a brave soul to move into a newly completed home with practically no furniture, but for Marcus…

• 29 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 0
• 511

Why I Bought Jervois Mansion As My First Home: My Journey As A First Time Homebuyer In Singapore

I’ve always thought buying a home was a very straightforward process.  First, you determine your budget. Then, you come up with a list of ideal homes, narrow down the list through pros and cons, and then decide on which you…

• 28 Oct 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 545

“It’s Sleazy But It’s Freehold” What It’s Really Like To Live At The Infamous Orchard Towers

Famed for sex and violence, Orchard Towers is one of the spiciest parts of Singapore. It’s even more surprising that it’s located in the very heart of Orchard Road; and it begs the question: would you put up with the…

• 27 Oct 2022
• 9 min read
• 0
• 558

Upgrading From A BTO To A 1,550 Sqft Executive Apartment: How A Couple Carefully Planned With A $50k Reno Budget

For some people, their first home may just be their forever home. But for others, the unpredictabilities of life can really change, and you can outgrow your existing house more quickly than you might think. This is what Alfisyah (@nurfish)…

• 24 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 0
• 1.5k

A 23-Year-Old HDB In Bukit Panjang Gets A Unique Makeover Into A Spanish Country Style Home

Rach and Sam (@casagangsa) are a newlywed couple who bought a 5-room resale flat in Bukit Panjang that’s already 23 years old. Like most homeowners who choose an older HDB, their reason for doing so was space. “We knew we…

• 21 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 0
• 999

I Nearly Bought A Condo With A Ceiling Leak & Depleting Sinking Fund Issue: Why MCST Problems Need To Be More Transparent

Of late, we’ve had questions from a reader about the MCST system in Singapore; and about how it’s a little opaque and unfair. If you’re a foreigner or have bought property overseas, you may be struck by how little information…

• 17 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 16
• 806

A $3.5 Million Budget And 4 Options To Choose From In Bukit Timah: Here’s What This Buyer Picked For Their Family Home

M & W have got it all planned out for their kids. As they are alumni of both ACS and SCGS, they naturally wanted their kids to follow in their footsteps and go to the same schools. Well, that is,…

• 15 Oct 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 674

I Tried Renting Out My Own Home In Singapore: Here’s Why I Would Never Do It Again

A common complaint is that property agents charge too much for handling “simple” rental deals; and it has to be said the rising GST rate doesn’t help either. As one landlord found out however, finding your own tenants can devolve…

• 12 Oct 2022
• 6 min read
• 11
• 593

“I Ended Up A Tenant Of My Old Home” How 3 Singaporean Homeowners Are Dealing With The New Cooling Measures

The 15-month wait-out, from the September cooling measures, was one of the most stunning last-minute shifts we encountered. Several Singaporean homeowners were caught unprepared; these range from those who had just sold their condo units (and are now forced to…

• 12 Oct 2022
• 5 min read
• 1
• 193

We Moved From A 3-Room Tanglin Halt HDB To A Dakota Breeze BTO: Our Covid-19 New Home Journey

Tanglin Halt, which went under the Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) in 2014, was for many the iconic HDB neighbourhood. As one of the five districts of old Queenstown, Tanglin Halt was one of the longest surviving HDB estates, rivalling…

• 6 Oct 2022
• 9 min read
• 0
• 188